The WRC recommended €5,000 compensation for a worker after finding his former employer acted unreasonably over concerns about emails sent in his name. The recommendation, dated 10 April 2026, also called for the employer to confirm when it closed his email account, detail emails sent from it and notify recipients that the worker was not their author.
The former facilities and maintenance manager said he learned that a negative contractor survey response had been sent from his account while he was on sick leave. He said he asked the employer to investigate but received no response. The employer, which operates in wholesale and retail trade, did not attend the hearing or provide a written submission.
The worker wanted to understand how his account had been accessed and whether other correspondence had been sent in his name. Based on his account, the adjudication officer found the employer had not engaged with those concerns and had not followed a protocol to protect his identity. She recommended compensation for the significant distress caused. The corrective steps also included providing copies of the correspondence to the worker.