The Workplace Relations Commission awarded childcare worker Jade Looby €1,037 after finding her dismissal by Clonmel Kids Club Ltd. unfair. The decision was dated 12 July 2024.
Looby said she had received no formal warnings and disputed the employer’s account of her conduct. She also said events changed after she raised concerns about photographs of children. Clonmel Kids Club Ltd. said it dismissed her fairly after repeated warnings for inappropriate behaviour. The adjudication officer preferred Looby’s evidence, found the employer’s evidence unreliable and said the dismissal fell outside the range of reasonable responses. The dismissal was also procedurally unfair: there was no disciplinary hearing or fair opportunity to appeal. The officer noted that an external investigation had not upheld any bullying complaints against Looby. The officer assessed her actual earnings loss at two weeks’ pay, €456, and also considered the loss of a qualifying period for redundancy pay. That loss of employment rights was factored into the €1,037 compensation award.