Labour Court upholds rejection of solicitor’s family-status appeal

The Labour Court upheld the rejection of Carol Connolly’s family-status discrimination complaint against Ryans Solicitors LLP in a decision dated 3 February 2023. Her appeal failed after the Court found that the different work-from-home arrangements did not arise from her family status. Connolly, a part-time legal secretary with school-age children, said the firm let a full-time colleague without children work from home but refused her request. The firm said Connolly’s experienced role required office attendance, including to handle hardcopy files, while her colleague had different duties. The Court accepted the firm’s explanation of the differences in their roles and experience.