Labour Court rejects solicitor’s discrimination appeal against O’Neill and Company Solicitors

The Labour Court rejected solicitor Michelle Gilbourne’s appeal against a finding that O’Neill and Company Solicitors had not discriminated against her on gender, civil-status or family-status grounds. The determination was dated 25 May 2017. Gilbourne worked for the firm from 2005 until her redundancy in 2012. The Court found that the redundancy followed a steep decline in conveyancing work, her main area, and that she had not established that the decision was tainted by discrimination. It also rejected her harassment and victimisation complaints. The Court accepted the firm’s explanation for reassigning a file and temporarily stopping her pay, and found that no decision about parental leave was made during the period it considered.