False claim of racial slur and statements made after dismissal leads to €9,000 for unfair dismissal

A bus driver was recently awarded the best part of €9,000 in an unfair dismissal claim against his former employer for gross misconduct. The employer, Blue Line Coaches Limited, trading as Nolan Coaches, claimed the driver used a racial slur in describing a Chinese person as “a fat Chinese c***”. But the WRC adjudicator, Kevin … Read more

Law around employment probation period changes

In December 2022 some changes were introduced into employment law in Ireland thanks to the transposition of the European Directive 2019/1152 into Irish law. The European Union (Transparent and Predictable Working Conditions) Regulations 2022, statutory instrument 686/2022 is the relevant Irish SI which gives effect to the European directive. The changes brought about include changes … Read more

Performance review triggers psychiatric illness; non-payment for pack of cigarettes leads to Tesco paying €23,363 for unfair dismissal

Scrolling through my Twitter feed this morning I came across two interesting cases. Performance review triggers psychiatric illness/disability The first involved an employee who brought a successful claim for harassment on the grounds of disability. She had been subject to an unhappy performance review and was awarded €8,000 for the claim of harassment under the … Read more

The Enoch Burke dispute-a valuable reminder of some principles of employment law

Enoch Burke was dismissed yesterday from his employment as a secondary school teacher with Wilson’s Hospital School in Westmeath. Mr Burke can appeal this decision within ten days of the decision to terminate. The dispute has generated a great deal of publicity and media attention with frequent visits to the High Court. And those appearances … Read more