The Workplace Relations Commission found that Ciara Leddy was unfairly dismissed by Aquachem Water Management Dac and awarded her €6,000 compensation. The decision was dated 17 September 2024.
Leddy’s employment as an office manager ended in May 2022 on purported redundancy grounds. Aquachem said mergers and centralisation had duplicated her duties, and that it offered her an alternative office administrator role in Galway. Leddy argued that her work remained necessary and that the consultation had not properly considered alternatives.
The adjudicator found that the proposed administrator role closely resembled Leddy’s former duties, suggesting the work still needed to be done. The Dunboyne office was not being scaled back, and the duties could be carried out there. The WRC concluded that no valid redundancy existed and the dismissal was unfair. Leddy found another job within two months, at lower pay; the €6,000 compensation was in addition to payments she had already received.