Bus Éireann worker awarded €40,000 for 'penalisation'

George Moloney, a long-serving employee at Bus Éireann, has been awarded €40,000 by the Workplace Relations Commission for being penalised in breach of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005. The tribunal found that Bus Éireann had penalised George for seeking medical retirement due to a hand condition caused by prolonged exposure to vibrating tools during his 40-year career refurbishing vehicles.

Despite being deemed medically unsuitable for a transfer to bus driving, Bus Éireann denied Mr Moloney the usual ill-health retirement process. The adjudicator ruled that the company's protected act of denying Mr Moloney access to the usual retirement process caused him significant financial detriment. Consequently, Bus Éireann has been ordered to pay €40,000 in compensation and process Mr Moloney's application for medical retirement without regard to any ongoing civil proceedings.