The Workplace Relations Commission recommended that a health service pay a nurse €10,000 after finding excessive delays in handling her Dignity at Work complaint. The recommendation was dated 9 February 2024.
The nurse said her employer failed to deal promptly with her complaint about alleged bullying and harassment by her line manager. She said she could not return to her original workplace after raising the complaint. The employer cited the Covid-19 pandemic, a cyberattack and delays agreeing the investigation’s terms of reference. It said it maintained her pay, provided another placement and restored 70% of the annual leave she had used while awaiting a transfer.
The adjudication officer found the delays “excessive and hugely damaging” and the impact on the nurse “egregious, both personally and professionally”. The officer also found the employer had failed to apply its own policies. The investigation did not proceed to a final report after the person complained about left employment and chose not to engage. The officer rejected the employer’s argument that compensation was barred as a cost-increasing claim and recommended the payment in full and final settlement.