WRC orders Abbott Ireland to pay €25,000 after dismissing a scientist with endometriosis during probation

Ireland’s Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) has ordered Abbott Ireland to pay €25,000 to a scientist with endometriosis who was dismissed during her probation. She had been promised a hybrid role and faced a four-hour daily commute; occupational health recommended two days of remote work a week, and she was dismissed two weeks later. The adjudicator found no failure to accommodate her during her employment, but found that the dismissal itself was disability discrimination because her health had not been taken into account (The Irish Times).

Why this matters

If you have a chronic condition and need remote days, probation is when you are most exposed. This case shows that an occupational health recommendation carries weight, and that dismissing someone without considering it can be discrimination even during probation. The decision is about the dismissal; it does not find that a policy of no remote work during probation is unlawful in itself.

Context

WRC decisions apply to the case in front of them rather than setting binding precedent. For your rights to ask for remote work in Ireland, see our guide to the right to request remote work, and for how remote work supports disabled and chronically ill workers, our piece on async working and accessibility.