A Polish worker who was discriminated on the ground of gender and race, as well as suffering victimisation, has been awarded over €63,000 by the Equality Tribunal, which commented that the complainant had “found herself immediately threatened with false disciplinary charges when she exercised her right of complaint under the respondent’s own policies”.

The respondent was ordered to pay the complainant:

(i) € 21,000 which equals one year’s salary for the complainant (i.e. prior to her reduction of hours, and therefore income) in compensation for the effects of discrimination and

(ii) € 42,000 or the equivalent of two year’s salary in compensation for the effects of victimisation.

“This reflects the seriousness of the finding that the complainant found herself immediately threatened with false disciplinary charges when she exercised her right of complaint under the respondent’s own policies”, the EO said.

(iii) These awards “are in compensation for the distress suffered by the complainant and are not in the nature of pay and therefore not subject to tax”, he added.