The Labour Court upheld a €2,000 compensation award to Vytautas Silgalis after rejecting his appeal for higher compensation in a race discrimination case against Frylite Dublin Ltd. The determination was signed on 21 June 2010.
The Equality Officer had found that Frylite discriminated against Silgalis by seeking to deduct €150 a week from his wages for damage to a company van. The proposed deduction exceeded 40% of his net weekly salary, while deductions from Irish workers in similar circumstances were between 3% and 15%. Frylite did not appeal the discrimination finding; Silgalis appealed the compensation amount.
Frylite said the damage happened outside company hours and that its recovery policy applied equally to employees. The Court found the award adequate, noting its deterrent effect and Frylite's introduction of new employment policies and procedures. It said compensation should reflect economic loss and the seriousness of the infringement, but it could not award legal costs.