College loses redundancy case by former researcher

University College Cork has lost its legal challenge to a Labour Court order, requiring it to pay a former full-time researcher on a fixed-term contract, an ex gratia redundancy payment in addition to her statutory redundancy entitlement.

The decision by Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns, means UCC has to pay Dr Naomi Bushin an additional ex gratia redundancy payment calculated on the basis of four weeks’ pay per year of service.

Mr Justice Kearns noted Dr Bushin was denied an ex gratia payment on the basis she was a fixed-term employee when such ex gratia payments were made to valid comparators. The Labour Court had correctly found Dr Bushin was treated less favourably than appropriate comparators, he ruled.