I was alienated after making NCT claims

An administrator who was sacked from his position at the country’s busiest NCT centre had claimed inspectors were carrying out tests on their friends’ vehicles a month before the company commenced disciplinary proceedings against him.

The Employment Appeals Tribunal yesterday heard the contents of an email sent by Richard Hoban of Norwood Park, Cobh, Co Cork, to his superiors in July 2012 in which he made the allegations.

Mr Hoban, who has brought an unfair dismissal case against Applus Car Testing Services Ltd, alleged he was being “ignored and alienated” by his co-workers at the Little Island NCT centre after he highlighted procedural issues.

In the e-mail Mr Hoban further claimed his manager, Michael Long, had refused to deal directly with him in his role as an administrator and that Mr Long accused him of suffering from “terrible body odour” when Mr Hoban asked why he was avoiding him.

Eamon Conlon, Applus’ south-western regional manager, told the tribunal Mr Long subsequently apologised for his remarks and his handling of the situation, but that this had no bearing on the company’s decision to dismiss Mr Hoban.

Mr Conlon had told the tribunal he dismissed Mr Hoban after he learned that he was presenting cars that did not belong to him to the centre for testing, in violation of company policy. Mr Conlon witnessed Mr Hoban committing this offence in August 2012, and he received anonymous allegations of other similar offences by Mr Hoban.

Mr Conlon said it was coincidental Mr Hoban’s violations came to light a month after he had made his allegations to his superiors.

Donncha Kiely BL, acting for Mr Hoban, said that his client felt victimised because he was reporting graver violations of company policy and that Mr Conlon’s discovery and the anonymous complaint were part of a larger “stitch-up” rather than a coincidence.

Mr Kiely said his client never disguised the fact he was presenting cars to the centre for inspection, and that he was doing so at the request of Mr Long. Mr Kiely said Vehicle Inspectors were given bonuses for productivity and so staff were encouraged to find replacements for any late cancellations. As his client was not entitled to a productivity-based bonus and as he had no influence on the mechanical testing of the vehicle, Mr Kiely said there was no benefit to his client.

Mr Conlon said Mr Hoban would have been aware this practice was against company policy; that he could not believe he was encouraged to do this.

The matter was adjourned until December 17.