The Workplace Relations Commission has found in favour of a process operator who had claimed "unfair" dismissal by a meat processing plant.

The processor operator, who had been "paid a weekly wage of €695; net €600" had sought adjudication by the Workplace Relations Commission because he claimed the "manner of his dismissal was unfair".

Neither the name of the process operator or the employer in question has been made public by the commission.

A summary of the worker's case included reference to an account of when the process operator had brought an "incident of aggression by a colleague" to the attention of Human Relations and his supervisor suggested afterwards, "in what the worker claims was an unfriendly fashion, that he (the worker) might leave the employment if he was unhappy".

Following this the process operator was moved to another line "where matters had improved".

In the meantime, the process operator had written to the employer "in or around September" indicating that he wished to finish his employment on November 24, 2024 to allow him to return to his home country.

The worker claimed that he gave his employer "ample opportunity to fill his position".

However the process operator said approximately a month later - October 24, 2024 - he insisted on taking a toilet break "despite the employer’s refusal.

The commission heard that the process line had to stop to allow him to go to the restroom.

The process operator said he received a letter dated on the same day from the supervisor which informed him that due to the “ongoing review of processes” his employment was being terminated that day.

He claimed that "the manner of his dismissal was unfair in all respects".

The employer did not attend the hearing at the Workplace Relations Commission, but the adjudication officer, Thomas O'Driscoll, said that in his opinion he was "reasonably satisfied that it had notice of the arrangement for the hearing".

The adjudication officer decided to "uphold the worker's claim that he was subject to unfair process of dismissal".

O'Driscoll said:" When assessing compensation, the situation was tempered by the fact that the employee had already told the employer that he was finishing anyway on November 24, 2024, and he was already paid a week’s notice.  

"I recommend that the employer pay the employee compensation of a net sum of €1,800 for unfair treatment".