The Labour Court allowed an appeal by David and Carol Stone, trading as Ashton Dog Pound and Warden Service, and set aside the €18,000 award to Conor Williamson. The Court found no penalisation for making a protected disclosure. Its determination was dated 14 August 2023.
Williamson’s complaint concerned an email to his employer about alleged animal cruelty, which the employers accepted was a protected disclosure. He said disciplinary investigations and sanctions followed, including a final written warning and an investigation of complaints from colleagues. The employers said those matters were separate workplace issues.
The Court found Williamson had not established a link between the disclosure and the disciplinary processes or sanctions. It considered his suspension pending investigation reasonable in the circumstances and found that shortcomings in the processes were unrelated to the disclosure. It concluded that no penalisation occurred, overturning the WRC adjudication officer’s earlier finding in Williamson’s favour.