The Workplace Relations Commission awarded plumber Michael Reilly €8,550 in compensation after finding that he was unfairly dismissed. The decision was dated 25 September 2023.
Reilly was dismissed by Cullenbridge Services Limited Hollyfort Services on 22 December 2021, purportedly for gross misconduct. He said he was dismissed during an informal meeting without warning of disciplinary proceedings or a chance to answer allegations. The company argued that his conduct and refusal to return company property justified the dismissal.
The adjudication officer found that the decision to dismiss was communicated during the meeting, but no specific charges were put to Reilly and no response was sought. The officer said later conduct could not retrospectively justify a dismissal that had already happened, and that the alleged behaviour could instead have been addressed through a proper disciplinary process.
The parties agreed that Reilly’s losses were €8,550 gross and that compensation was the preferred remedy. The officer made no deduction for contributory conduct or failure to mitigate his losses.