The Labour Court upheld a €30,000 compensation award to a worker after finding that a multinational retailer failed to provide suitable toilet facilities to accommodate her disability. The determination was dated 10 November 2014.
The worker had worked for the retailer and its predecessor since 1975, mainly at a customer service desk. After a two-year absence, she sought a phased return, occasional seating and access to a suitable disabled toilet. The retailer offered her a seated checkout role and time to use a toilet in the shopping centre.
The Court found that queues at the shopping-centre toilet could delay access, which the worker needed urgently, and that the available facilities were unsuitable. The retailer estimated that providing a suitable toilet in the store would cost €22,000. The Court found that cost was not a disproportionate burden for a large multinational company.