The Workplace Relations Commission has ordered Almac Pharma Services Ireland Limited to re-engage Stephen Loughran as a Production Operator or in an equivalent role at its Dundalk site, after finding he was unfairly dismissed. The decision, dated 21 July 2026, says the re-engagement takes effect six weeks after the decision; the period until then is unpaid suspension.
Almac dismissed Loughran after a physical altercation with a food delivery driver on company premises during his break. Loughran said he acted in self-defence after the driver struck him; the company argued his response went beyond self-defence and amounted to gross misconduct. The adjudication officer found the employer could not reasonably conclude that Loughran’s response exceeded self-defence, and that the disciplinary process was unfair because of cumulative procedural failures.