A finance manager was unfairly dismissed after raising concerns about a charity’s accounts, the Workplace Relations Commission found. In a decision dated 12 June 2025, it awarded the worker €34,737 in compensation.
The worker’s 27 October 2023 email referred to a draft loss, postings that needed explanation and correction, and cleaning up the accounts before an audit. The WRC found it contained enough information to qualify as a protected disclosure and that the charity had not rebutted the presumption that the worker reasonably believed it indicated wrongdoing. The decision did not find that improper accounting had occurred.
The charity said it dismissed the worker during probation because of performance concerns, including missed deadlines. The WRC found the dismissal resulted wholly or mainly from the disclosure. It also found the worker was dismissed without a disciplinary process or appeal, but assessed the complaint under the rules for dismissal following a protected disclosure.
The award was reduced for two periods of unemployment because evidence of job-search efforts was limited. The WRC allowed the claimed losses in alternative employment and made no reduction for contributory conduct or the worker’s motivation for making the disclosure.