Architect's dismissal after 20 years of service was a sham, tribunal hears

AN ARCHITECT who lost his job after 20 years of service believes his redundancy was a sham, an Employment Appeals Tribunal heard yesterday.

Donal O'Connell (51) of Summerville Park, Rathmines, Dublin, said he was unfairly dismissed by Salmon Hynes & Associates, of Crofton Terrace, Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin, on May 18th last.

Mr O'Connell believes he was dismissed because he refused to sign off papers for a development that had not complied with planning permission, when pressured by his superiors.

His representative Stephen O'Sullivan BL, also said the business wanted to get rid of his client earlier, but waited until the Building Control Act was passed, so they would no longer need him to sign off on permissions.

His former employer John Salmon attributed the redundancy to a downturn in business.

At the time of his redundancy, Mr O'Connell was being paid an annual salary of €67,000, an annual bonus and expenses.

The tribunal heard the claimant was shocked by the amount of notice he was given about the loss of his job because he had served the company for a long time.

He was offered a redundancy package of €23,700, which the tribunal heard Mr O'Connell declined.

Mr Salmon said the claimant would have been aware of the financial problems the business was having at the time he was made redundant.

He said that it was not a decision he wanted to make, but something that had to be done to reduce business costs.

Mr Salmon also denied pressuring Mr O'Connell to sign off on any work that did not comply with regulations, saying: "It is of no benefit to us to sign off on anything that is not correct."

Tribunal chairman Peter J O'Leary adjourned the hearing until July 10th.