The Equality Tribunal rejected a solicitor’s complaints of discrimination and discriminatory dismissal against a statutory body. Equality Officer Tara Coogan dated the decision 16 November 2011.
The solicitor said her interview score and the decision not to renew her fixed-term contract were linked to her pregnancy and family status. The body said the interview was fair and her contract ended after she failed to qualify for its recruitment panel.
The officer found the body did not know she was pregnant at the interview, and that the interview notes supported its assessment of her performance. She found family status was not a significant reason for the result, noting a colleague with similar caring responsibilities succeeded. The contract expired because vacancies were being filled through the competition panel, and the officer found pregnancy did not cause its non-renewal.