The WRC awarded a worker €13,689 after finding that an engineering company discriminated against her on disability grounds when it dismissed her. The decision was dated 3 April 2024. The worker also received €500 for unpaid annual leave and €50 for omissions in her written terms of employment.
The worker said she was dismissed because of leave connected with her disability. The company said it needed a full-time, experienced accounts technician and was not aware of her disability. Adjudication Officer Breiffni O'Neill found the company had been on notice of the disability from May 2022 and accepted the worker's account. The officer found the company's explanation unconvincing, noting that the worker had received a pay rise and that there was no credible evidence that performance concerns had been raised with her.
The WRC also found that required details were missing from the written terms and that accrued annual leave had been offset against notice pay, although both were due. The worker's gender and family status discrimination allegations were not supported by evidence showing they fell within the relevant period.