It is incredible the extent to which you will see employers making the same mistakes repeatedly when dismissing an employee.
I read about a case last week involving a dental clinic in Carlow which resulted in the employee being dismissed and being awarded €8,500, or thereabouts, for unfair dismissal.
The employee was accused of “hate speech” amounting to gross misconduct arising from a post she allegedly made on Facebook criticising Ukrainian refugees. The employer felt the evidence was so obvious and overwhelming that he decided to dismiss her immediately.
No procedure, no chance for the employee to defend herself, no chance to explain.
No matter how bad an employer believes an employee’s conduct has been, no matter how odious the expression of an opinion in a public forum, it is a fundamental principle of justice that the employee is given some type of fair procedure and an opportunity to defend herself.
You can read the report in the Irish Times here and you will get a flavour of how and why the adjudication officer arrived at the decision she arrived at.
You may be interested in my book, Employment Law in Ireland.