WRC recommends app support for bus driver after finding warning proportionate

The WRC recommended one-to-one support for a bus driver using his employer’s leave-booking app, while finding that a written warning for missing work was proportionate. Adjudication Officer Úna Glazier-Farmer dated the recommendation 9 October 2025. The worker said he believed his leave request had not been refused and that difficulty using the digital system contributed to the misunderstanding. The employer said it had declined the request because of operational pressures, offered him a shorter shift at full pay and told him he was not authorised to take the full day off. The officer found that after rejecting the shorter-hours offer, the worker should have understood he was not authorised to take the day off, and should have checked with his manager if he remained unsure. The warning was the lowest sanction available under the disciplinary procedure. The recommendation was for a tutorial or one-to-one help with the app, to make approved and declined leave dates clearer.