WRC finds it had no jurisdiction over interpreter’s Equal Status complaint

The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), in a decision dated 12 December 2023, found it had no jurisdiction to hear Antoni Lesiński’s Equal Status complaint against James O’Flanagan. The officer ruled that Lesiński’s work as an interpreter at the clinic was not a service generally available to the public, so he did not have standing to bring a claim under the Acts. Lesiński said he was asked to leave the clinic after a dispute about mask wearing and claimed his medical exemption had not been considered. O’Flanagan confirmed the incident and said he was concerned about social distancing in a medical setting. The WRC did not decide whether discrimination occurred. A request made after the hearing to change the complaint to one under the Employment Equality Acts was refused; Lesiński would need to submit a fresh claim.