The Workplace Relations Commission found that a company unfairly dismissed an office manager and awarded her €25,000 gross. It also awarded €3,442.80 gross for the company’s failure to provide the required minimum notice. The decision was dated 1 April 2026.
The office manager said the managing director told her on 16 January 2025 that she was finishing that day and took her work laptop and phone. The company said her employment continued during severance discussions and ended in May after she failed to attend work. The WRC found that the dismissal took place in January and that the company took no prompt steps to retract or clarify it.
The officer found there had been no fair procedure before the dismissal and that the company’s quick decision after the personal relationship between two employees ended was unreasonable. The €25,000 award reflected estimated lost earnings of €35,000, reduced by €10,000 because the officer was not satisfied she had made enough job applications. The officer also found she was entitled to four weeks’ notice. Her redundancy complaint failed because the evidence did not establish a redundancy situation.