Sweeping the floor is women’s work?

The good barber said that sweeping the floor was “women’s work”.

A hair salon owner had a difficulty with the attitude of a barber who was described as an excellent barber.

The problem, he told the Workplace Relations Commission, was the barber’s attitude and views towards women, Muslims, homosexuals, and others.

The salon owner, after a number of warnings, fired the barber who did not have 12 months’ service in the job. The 12 months’ service is necessary for an unfair dismissal claim.

But the barber brought his claim under the Industrial Relations Act, 1969 as a “trade dispute”. The adjudicator made a recommendation in his favour that the salon owner pay him €750.

Because this is only a recommendation under the Industrial Relations Act, 1969 the employer can simply ignore it. It is legally unenforceable if the salon owner adopts this position.

I wonder will he.

Anyway, if you want to learn about employment law in Ireland my book might be of interest. You can get is on Amazon or Audible.