Mater ordered to compensate employee for discrimination
One of the country's largest hospitals has been ordered to pay €10,000 compensation for racially discriminating against a Nigerian born employee when suspending him primarily based on the colour of his skin.
Mater Misericordiae University Hospital has been ordered to pay €10,000 in compensation to a Nigerian-born employee, Paul Agbons, after being found guilty of racially discriminating against him. The hospital suspended Agbons for six days in June last year based on the color of his skin, despite no objective evidence linking him to the alleged sexual misconduct of a female patient.
The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) adjudicator, Penelope McGrath, stated that the hospital's decision to suspend Agbons primarily based on his race had a clear racial undertone. Despite the six-day suspension, the effect on Agbons has been long-lasting, as he is a trusted and valued member of staff with an exemplary work record.
The hospital's Trust in Care Committee did not progress the issue due to a lack of detailed information, but Agbons maintains that the director of nursing, who made the decision, allowed her unconscious bias to influence her judgment.
Written by urgent.news from RTE News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
