C.L.S Online was ordered to pay delivery driver Eric Cullen €4,250 after the WRC found his dismissal unfair. The decision, dated 16 November 2023, also found a separate redundancy pay complaint not well founded.
The Dublin haulier said a downturn and rising costs meant it needed to downsize. The adjudication officer accepted that need but found the company had not explained why Cullen was selected over colleagues or followed a clear selection procedure.
Cullen said he received no warning or chance to discuss alternatives such as part-time work. He was out of work for four months, with income losses of €6,400. The officer reduced the compensation by about a third because Cullen could have done more to find work.
The unfair dismissal finding means the employer did not handle the dismissal fairly. The separate redundancy payment complaint failed; Cullen’s redundancy entitlement had been calculated from his return to work in 2018, after he resigned in January that year.