The Labour Court increased an unfair dismissal award to €34,000 for Gráinne O’Hara, finding she was unfairly selected for redundancy by Zeus Packaging Group. The Court’s determination, dated 6 December 2022, varied an earlier decision that had awarded €10,000, less the statutory redundancy amount she had received.
O’Hara said the selection process was unfair and lacked transparency. She said she was not given the criteria or an opportunity to contribute to the skills matrix. The company said Covid-related business pressures required redundancies and disputed that her selection or the process was unfair.
The Court found there had been no serious or worthwhile consultation, that the process was unclear and not transparent, and that alternatives to redundancy had not been substantially considered. It awarded €34,000 compensation, with the statutory redundancy payment already factored into its calculation.