The Workplace Relations Commission ordered Petrogas Group Ltd t/a Applegreen to pay former site manager Rajan Praju €18,750 after finding he was unfairly dismissed following food safety and hygiene concerns at the site he managed. Adjudication Officer Gaye Cunningham said the audit gave the company grounds for concern and the investigation was not seriously flawed, but found demotion and transfer harsh given Praju’s long service; a written warning and intensive retraining would have been more appropriate.
Applegreen cited serious hygiene shortcomings, including 33 deli non-conformances, and said Praju had not adequately corrected them. Praju said staffing shortages contributed to the problems and challenged the fairness of the process and sanctions. The WRC also recorded that his working-time complaint had been withdrawn. Cunningham dated the decision 25 May 2026.