WRC rejects Sasa Grujic’s gender discrimination and victimisation complaint

The Workplace Relations Commission found Sasa Grujic’s complaint of gender discrimination and victimisation against Bright Side Bars Co Ltd Cinnamon Restaurant not well founded. The decision, dated 21 March 2024, concerned the investigation and disciplinary process following a workplace Christmas party incident. Grujic said the process was discriminatory and that an email sent to staff in January 2023, which he learned about in July, supported his claim. The restaurant denied discrimination and argued the complaint was out of time and outside the WRC’s jurisdiction. The adjudicator found that a female co-worker involved in the incident also faced disciplinary action, and that learning of the email was not less favourable treatment under equality law. The complaint was found not well founded. The decision records that Grujic said he had lost more than €5,000, but that was a claimed loss, not an award.