A compensation award of five years salary was made by the Workplace Relations Commission to a massage therapist who suffered penalisation following a protected disclosure which she made to her employer at the time. The protected disclosure was in relation to the requirement for the complainant to provide sexual services to clients during her employment.
With the uncertainity that the COVID-19 pandemic caused for many businesses, some employers turned to pay cuts to avoid having to make roles redundant. A recent Workplace Relations (WRC) adjudication dealt with this subject. It outlined the position which will probably be followed by other adjudicators. The case of A Project Manager/Translator v An Interpretation and Translation Group ADJ-00028367 revolved around an employer implementing a 15% pay cut due to the alledged impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the business using a variation clause contained in the employee’s employment contract.
In a recent case before the Workplace Relations Commission there was a real redundancy situation on the face of it, but proper communication between the employer and employee did not take place. This resulted in a decision of unfair dismissal being made against the employer.
How do I raise a problem at work? Should I raise it informally or formally? If you find yourself having to deal with a problem at work what should you do next? Problems can vary in size and importance. Some can be minor irritations, like always being last in the queue for coffee. Others can take on a more obstructive role, like harassment. While more can register somewhere in the middle. Whatever the problem, the fact is, it needs to be sorted. We look at when an informal chat is useful, and how to prepare for it. We also consider problems which are best dealt with by way of a formal complaint using all of the procedures available in your workplace and in Irish employment law.