WRC Find Selection Process Tainted with Discrimination

In the recent case A Complainant v A Media Company (ADJ-00043525) the Complainant alleged she was discriminated against based on her family status when she was passed over for promotion following her return from maternity leave. She issued a complaint to the Workplace Relations Commission (“WRC”) under the Employment Equality Acts 1998-2015 (“the Acts”).

Facts: The Complainant’s evidence was that she was employed as a Planner with the Respondent company. She worked for the company for 15 years and was the longest serving member on her team. She submitted to the WRC she had always took on the role of “acting manager” and trained in new staff. She was unsuccessful in her application for a Team Lead role with the Respondent following her return from maternity leave. She had trained in the successful candidate who was promoted to Team Lead.

The Complainant returned from maternity leave in August 2022. The Complainant gave evidence that she was excluded from an important planning meeting in September 2022, when she had previously attended such meetings. The Complainant also gave evidence that certain comments were made to her following her return from maternity leave. She gave evidence that a manager “Ms. D” referred to her “extended maternity leave” which the Complainant felt was a passive aggressive comment. Ms. D was a member of the interview panel to select the Team Lead, along with two other internal managers “Mr. N” and “Ms. C”. Ms. C was a representative from HR, and according to the Complainant she received interview feedback from Ms. C in which Ms. C said “timing is everything” to her twice.

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