Employee 'not unfairly dismissed' over alleged sex attack on colleague at Christmas party

The female complainant alleged that her male colleague sexually assaulted her in her hotel bedroom after a staff Christmas party on December 1, 2018. File photo File photo: iStock

The Labour Court has ruled that a worker for a beverage company who is alleged to have sexually assaulted a female colleague at a staff Christmas Party was not unfairly dismissed.

In its ruling, chairman of the Labour Court, Kevin Foley said the decision to dismiss the worker in response to the “uncontested” allegation that he sexually assaulted a colleague falls within the range of responses which might be expected of a reasonable employer.