Store must pay ex-worker €84k for redundancy attempt

A TIPPERARY hardware store has been ordered to pay €84,000 compensation to a former staff member who it tried to make redundant while he was recovering from heart surgery.

The Employment Appeals Tribunal ruled that Doherty’s Hardware of Roscrea should pay its former general manager, PJ Maxwell, the maximum award of two year’s salary for unfairly selecting him for redundancy.

The tribunal heard that Mr Maxwell of Rathnaleen, Nenagh, Co Tipperary, had worked as general manager at the store between April 2000 and December 2005 when he suffered a heart attack and required bypass surgery.