A Budget Travel office manager who was sacked after an investigation into complaints she had bullied staff has been awarded almost €5,000 by the Employment Appeals Tribunal. Chris Dooley, Industry and Employment Correspondent, reports.
It found that Ms Deirdre Hickey, of Ashfield Rise, Balbriggan, Co Dublin, was 60 per cent responsible for her dismissal last year, and it fixed compensation accordingly.
The company, it said, had adopted fair procedures, and complied with natural justice in the way it dealt with complaints by staff against Ms Hickey, who managed its shop in Swords, Co Dublin.
It also found that her behaviour had constituted "a degree of bullying and harassment" which warranted disciplinary sanction.
However, the company's decision to summarily dismiss Ms Hickey was a disproportionate response to the situation, the tribunal said.
A former assistant manager at the shop told the tribunal that Ms Hickey was "rude, aggressive and condescending" towards staff, and did not communicate well with them.
Three other female staff members also criticised Ms Hickey's management style in evidence to the tribunal.
The atmosphere at the shop improved for some weeks after an investigation by a regional sales director in 2002. Ms Hickey had told the tribunal she was "shocked and hurt" at the content of emails about her sent by staff to the regional sales director.
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