The “hate speech”  Facebook post and the employer’s common mistake

I published a video yesterday about the WRC case in which an employee was awarded €10,500, part of which was for unfair dismissal.

The circumstances giving rise to her dismissal surrounded a Facebook post she had allegedly made which her employer viewed as “hate speech”. It concerned refugees coming to Ireland and was, shall we say, “critical” of refugees and the Irish State’s response.

The employer in this case, a dental practice in Carlow, dismissed the employee without following fair procedures. For this reason, the employee won her case for unfair dismissal.

Individuals with similar views saw this case as a tremendous blow for free speech and a blow to the so-called thought police.

The message from my perspective was simply to do with the common mistake amongst employers of failing to adhere to any structured disciplinary procedure before dismissing an employee.

This happens at a remarkable rate of frequency and will always result in the employee winning the case.

You can watch the video here.

You can check out my book on Employment law in Ireland here.