The Workplace Relations Commission found that Samantha Barrett McSherry was unfairly dismissed by Beech Lodge Care Facility Ltd. after telling her manager she was pregnant, and awarded her €6,000 compensation. The decision by adjudication officer Peter O'Brien was dated 7 August 2026.
The employer argued that the manager lacked authority to dismiss McSherry and that the termination email was promptly withdrawn with an offer for her to return. The officer found that McSherry was entitled to treat the email as a dismissal and that pregnancy contributed to it. The officer also found she acted unreasonably in refusing the offer of immediate reinstatement, which was a major factor in the compensation award.