Nicole Doyle, a former staff member of Astronomy Ireland, garnered more than €2,000 in damages for violations of her employment rights. Doyle had claimed she was expelled from her financial responsibilities after she began asking pertinent questions and was later urged to sign a confidentiality contract. The Workplace Relations Commission awarded the damages based on her allegations that she was not furnished with written statements of her contract in accordance with the Terms of Employment (Information) Act 1994, having served in the organisation’s Ballycoolin, Dublin 11 headquarters between July 2022 and February 2023.
Although Astronomy Ireland did not make any representation at the tribunal in February, all three claims by Doyle were upheld by the ruling authority.
Previously earning €538.47 weekly for a 37.5-hour working week, Doyle repeatedly requested a written contract outlining her employment terms. She also issued a warning to the company about the illegality of not providing this documentation.
Doyle stated that despite her roles continuously changing within Astronomy Ireland, no written confirmation was provided about these adjustments. She also revealed that her financial responsibilities were withdrawn because of the questions she raised about the organisation’s legality.
Five to six months into her tenure, Doyle was interrogated about insufficient funds by a senior member of staff. Following this conversation, she was presented with a contract containing a clause prohibiting her from discussing any company affairs, and that her working hours had changed from the initial agreement of 37.5 hours to 39 per week.
Doyle disagreed with the contract, stating that it covered bare minimums of pay and leave terms, and didn’t fully comply with legislative requirements. She believed the contract wasn’t designed for her protection but for the company’s interests when they decided to terminate her employment.
Ms Doyle, a former employee of Astronomy Ireland was suggested to become a “renewals officer” responsible for member renewal calls, a request she agreed to as per company necessity, but on the condition it was given in writing – a promise never fulfilled, she claimed. Consequently, Ms Doyle lost her job.
At the hearing, Sonya Martin, her previous supervisor, was present accompanying Ms Doyle, as she had observed several similar complaints and was also seeking legal compensation for her own employment rights.
Presiding officer, Roger McGrath, ruled that the responsibility was on Astronomy Ireland to counter Ms Doyle’s claims, but the company did not attend the hearing. He concluded that the company had violated the Employment (Information) Act 1994 in three specific respects.
Specifically, they didn’t provide Ms Doyle with a written note of her principal employment terms within five days, they didn’t deliver her a more detailed description of the terms stipulated by law within 30 days, and they didn’t formally inform her of changes to her employment conditions.
As a result of these legal infringements, Ms Doyle was awarded a sum of €2,153.88, equivalent to four weeks’ wages, as financial recompense.