Compensation sweetens the pot for sacked chef

A city restaurant has been ordered to pay compensation to a chef it unfairly dismissed.

Boojum Galway, the Mexican burrito bar at Spanish Parade, was ordered to pay €3,500 in compensation to a former worker whose employment was terminated ‘out of the blue’.

The recommendation was made by the Labour Court following a hearing, in which the employer did not attend.

The court heard the claimant was employed as a chef with Boojum Galway from July 22, 2013 until his dismissal on March 30, 2014.

The claimant claims that the manner of his dismissal by management was both unfair and unreasonable.

The worker argued he was “never warned that if the quality of his performance at work did not improve, his job would be in jeopardy”.

The hearing also heard how “termination of his employment came ‘out of the blue’ without warning”.

The employer did not attend the hearing to explain its version of events, which the court said was “regrettable”.

In its ruling, the court said: “Having heard the uncontested evidence of the claimant the court is satisfied that the manner of his dismissal fell far short of the standard of fairness that could be expected from a reasonable employer, which was contrary to (labour legislation) . . .

“For all of these reasons the court finds that the dismissal of the claimant was unfair. In all the circumstances of this case the court recommends that the Employer should pay the claimant compensation in the amount of €3,500.”