The Workplace Relations Commission found a protected-disclosure penalisation complaint against Sunbeam House Services Company Limited By Guarantee t/a Sunbeam House Services not well-founded. Adjudication Officer Úna Glazier-Farmer’s decision was dated 25 February 2025.
Social worker Deirdre Lally alleged that paid administrative leave after she raised safeguarding concerns at an exit interview penalised her and left her unable to say goodbye properly to clients and colleagues. Sunbeam House accepted that she had made a protected disclosure but said the leave was a protective measure under its Trust in Care procedure, not a disciplinary sanction.
The officer accepted the employer’s explanation, finding the paid leave reasonable because the disclosures concerned Lally’s superiors. The four days of leave during her five-week notice period did not objectively amount to a detriment, the officer found. The complaint was rejected and no award was recorded.