Stressed teacher awarded €18k

A teacher forced to leave her job at a training centre after her employers refused to address a number of issues has been awarded €18,000.

Catriona Dwan had to leave her job of 25 years at Thurles Community Training Centre.

The Employment Appeals Tribunal, which sat last year in Thurles, found that initially management and later the board failed in their duty towards Ms Dwan and allowed a situation to exist where an employee was out on work-related stress due to problems in the workplace. She has been awarded €18,000 for unfair dismissal.

“These matters are extremely serious, and the tribunal find that the respondent (the Thurles training centre) failed to adhere to reasonable standards of fairness in dealing with the claimant (Ms Dwan),” its report stated.

In her evidence, Ms Dwan said that, in 2009 and 2010, she had encountered problems with a catering tutor parking so close to her car that she was unable to properly open her door. When she approached the tutor about the problem, she shouted at her.

She raised it with the manager and produced photographic evidence, but he had replied, “what can I do”. She regarded the manner of car parking as bullying.

An issue later arose over the learning portfolios of the students.

Following a series of investigations, meetings, and correspondence over the issues, Ms Dwan went on sick leave in October 2010

Ms Dwan lodged a claim against the manager under the Unfair Dismissal Acts in October 2011.