The Workplace Relations Commission recommended that an employer pay a worker €10,000 after finding her dismissal lacked fair procedures and reasonable grounds. Adjudication Officer Patricia Owens dated the recommendation 5 December 2025.
The worker said she was dismissed after a dispute over remote work, leave and office lighting. The employer said it dismissed her during probation for gross misconduct, citing remote work from Carlow, unauthorised leave and health and safety concerns about the office lights.
Owens found the employer’s account of earlier performance meetings was unsupported. She also found it had not properly investigated the disputed allegations or fully examined the worker’s disability-related lighting concerns. The worker had no opportunity to meet the manager who considered her appeal or to respond to evidence during the disciplinary or appeal process.
The officer upheld the worker’s complaint and recommended a probation-management policy requiring formal performance reviews, adequate records, and clear identification of performance deficiencies and support for employees. She also recommended €10,000 compensation.