The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) awarded Ms Abbie Walsh €28,000 after finding she was discriminated against when Soraghan Auto Retail Ltd. T/A Sandyford Motor Centre dismissed her while she was pregnant. The decision was dated 8 November 2023.
Walsh began work as a junior salesperson in January 2023 and was dismissed in May. She said she told her line manager she was pregnant in April and that the employer knew. The company said it was unaware of the pregnancy and dismissed her during probation because of her sales performance.
The adjudication officer accepted that Walsh told her line manager and found the employer became aware. The officer said the company had no contemporaneous records of performance discussions and did not accept its claim that the same sales targets applied to Walsh as to experienced salespeople. The officer found the employer had not provided duly substantiated reasons for the dismissal in writing, as required by the Pregnancy Directive.
The WRC found the complaint well-founded and ordered compensation for the effects of the discrimination. The award is not subject to PAYE, PRSI or USC deductions.