The Workplace Relations Commission ordered Lidl Ireland Gmbh to pay €2,000 compensation after a staff member asked guide-dog user Nadine Lattimore to move away from bakery shelves. The decision was dated 6 September 2024.
Lattimore said she was discriminated against and denied reasonable accommodation when the staff member asked her to move with her guide dog. Lidl accepted that she was asked to move but disputed that the incident amounted to discrimination or a failure to accommodate her. She was not refused entry to the store.
The WRC found that asking her to move because of her guide dog was disability discrimination and that the staff member failed to ensure she could access the service and obtain goods, causing unnecessary upset and humiliation. It did not find discrimination in a later exchange with a deputy store manager. Lidl apologised, investigated and described work on guide-dog policies and staff training.
The commission said the €2,000 compensation reflected the impact on Lattimore and Lidl’s apology. It declined to order the additional measures she requested, noting the company’s ongoing work with relevant bodies.