WRC awards receptionist €1,923.08 after unfair redundancy dismissal

A receptionist made redundant without consultation was unfairly dismissed, the Workplace Relations Commission found in a decision dated 28 June 2023. It awarded Philomena Duke €1,923.08 in compensation. Duke worked for Edward Tully trading as Edward P Tully & Co, a small accountancy firm. The firm said an automated answering service had reduced the receptionist workload and the remaining duties were distributed among staff. Duke said most of her bookkeeping work remained and that she had not been consulted before the redundancy decision. The adjudication officer accepted that the firm had grounds to restructure, but found that its failure to consult Duke or give her a chance to challenge the rationale made the dismissal unfair. Duke found alternative work shortly after her employment ended, and the officer said her losses were minimal.