The Workplace Relations Commission awarded Rachel Smyth €51,000 after finding that Metron Stores Limited t/a Iceland discriminated against her on the ground of gender while she was pregnant. The decision was dated 27 September 2024.
Smyth said she was laid off without notice in February 2023, when she was seven months pregnant, despite being told she would move to a Junior Buyer role at Homesavers in Tallaght. She also said the company left her without clear information about her employment and delayed completing forms needed for maternity benefit. The WRC found that she was laid off instead of relocated, kept uninformed and faced a delay in receiving the documents. The company did not attend the hearing or provide evidence in response.
The WRC did not find harassment or victimisation. It said Smyth had not established facts supporting either complaint. The €51,000 compensation, which the WRC described as approximately 18 months' pay, reflected the extent, impact and duration of the discrimination and the need for a deterrent.