WRC recommends €2,500 for worker dismissed during probation

The WRC recommended that an employer pay a worker €2,500 after finding merit in her dispute about dismissal during probation. Adjudication Officer Janet Hughes dated the recommendation 29 November 2023. The worker said she received no details of performance concerns before her dismissal and heard nothing after appealing. The employer did not attend the hearing, and its case was unknown. The WRC said the employer breached essential standards of fairness and decency by not explaining what the worker had done wrong or giving her a chance to correct it. It noted that she referred the dispute before the appeal outcome, but the employer had not told her this or provided an outcome. The officer recommended €2,500 in full and final settlement, taking the early referral into account.