Shift to card payments saw service station worker unfairly dismissed

A service station operator in Charlestown, County Mayo, has been ordered to pay €1,250 in compensation to a former employee following a determination by the Workplace Relations Commission. Eve Kilcoyne, who worked as a cash office worker for Macs Place Ltd since 2016, was dismissed in 2024 after the business shifted towards card payments. While the tribunal found the role had become redundant due to declining cash transactions, the dismissal was deemed unfair on procedural grounds. The company failed to provide adequate consideration of alternatives, denied the worker representation rights, and offered no appeals process. Adjudicator Louise Boyle also found the employer in breach of the Terms of Employment (Information) Act 1994 for failing to provide updated employment terms when duties changed. Ms Kilcoyne received €800 compensation for unfair dismissal and €450 for the statutory breach.