15/09/2026
A serious report of potential wrongdoing requires a proper response. But it does not prevent an employer from making legitimate business decisions for genuine reasons.
A phone-shop employee has been awarded €10,800 after the WRC found that his dismissal by reason of redundancy was unfair.
The case arose after the employee raised concerns with a company director about what he believed were irregular practices by his store manager.
The employee alleged that phone-case sales were being recorded as repair jobs, allowing the manager to claim maintenance bonuses.
The Adjudication Officer said the report had the “hallmark of a protected disclosure.”
Three days later, the employee received a redundancy letter.
The employer said the business was facing an ongoing financial crisis and needed to reduce labour costs.
Importantly, the WRC accepted that the company may genuinely have been experiencing trading difficulties.
But its concern centred on the process that followed.
According to the reported decision:
▪️ There was no meaningful consultation
▪️ The employee received insufficient advance notice
▪️ Alternatives to dismissal were not properly considered
▪️ The redundancy followed only three days after the employee raised concerns about his manager
▪️ The concerns raised would ordinarily have warranted an appropriate investigation
The employee was awarded €10,800, representing 20 weeks’ loss of earnings.
For employers, the lesson extends beyond this particular case:
A genuine financial problem does not automatically make a redundancy fair.
A workplace complaint does not automatically prevent redundancy.
And a legitimate business decision still needs its own evidence, chronology and fair process.
Where an employee has recently raised concerns about potential wrongdoing, employers should be particularly careful to show when the restructuring began, why the particular role was affected, what consultation took place and what alternatives were considered.
The redundancy decision should be capable of standing on its own, independently of the complaint that came before it.
We’ve examined the decision and the key lessons for employers in our latest article.
Read more on the Ormonde Solicitors website.
https://www.ormondesolicitors.ie/employee-reports-wrongdoing-then-faces-redundancy-e10800-wrc-award/
