The Labour Court dismissed William Barry’s appeal against his summary dismissal by DHL Supply Chain (Ireland) Limited, finding the decision reasonable. The determination was signed on 4 January 2022.
Barry had worked as a fuel tanker driver for DHL for about 21 years. His dismissal followed an incident at Dublin Port’s Joint Fuel Terminal on 12 October 2018, when his truck briefly reached about 35 km/h in an area with a 15 km/h speed limit. He said his shoelace caught between the accelerator and brake as he took evasive action.
The Court found DHL’s investigation, disciplinary hearing and internal appeal procedures fair and reasonable. It said Barry had ample opportunity to explain what happened, but he maintained that he should have been commended and had not expressed regret. The Court concluded that summary dismissal was within the range of reasonable responses available to an employer.