Woman who told colleague to shove job ‘up his ass’ resolves action

A woman who told a senior male colleague she claims had bullied her to "shove his job up his ass" has resolved her High Court action aimed at stopping her employer from terminating her employment.

The case was brought by Lisa Flanagan who, for more than 20 years, has worked as a receptionist and administrator for Martin Jennings Wholesale Limited, with a registered office Neale Road, Ballinrobe, Co Mayo.

Last month, she applied for an injunction preventing the meat processing plant company from dismissing her from her job. The court granted her permission to serve short notice of the injunction proceedings against her employer.

When the matter returned before the court on Wednesday, Conor Power SC for Ms Flanagan said the matter had been resolved and the court could strike out the proceedings with no order.

No other details about the dispute were advanced to the court.

Mr Justice Mark Sanfey agreed to strike out the proceedings.

Previously the court heard that Ms Flanagan accepted that, following an incident at work with a senior colleague, she alleged had been bullying her she used intemperate language, became upset, emotional and threatened to quit.

However, she denied that she ever formally resigned from the company as has been claimed by the defendant. Ms Flanagan claimed she was “taken aback” when she received an email from the company shortly after the incident with her colleague informing her that her resignation had been accepted.

She claimed the company was attempting to wrongfully dismiss her and that she would suffer irreparable damage if the firm was allowed to terminate her employment.

Male colleague

In a sworn statement to the court, Ms Flanagan of Lecarrow, Hollymount, Co Mayo, claimed that a senior male colleague had been aggressive, discourteous and unprofessional towards her.

Last December, she claimed the man shouted aggressively at her. She said that she became upset and accepted that she “tidied her desk” and said she was “leaving”.

She accepts and regrets using “intemperate language” and that she told her superior that he could “shove his job up his ass”. She then spoke to a senior executive at the company, who she told she would write a letter of resignation.

However, following that conversation, she agreed to go home, “let the dust settle” and that matters would be dealt with a few days’ time.

She said she made a formal complaint, or a protected disclosure, to the company that she was being bullied and harassed by her superior. However, she claims her complaint was ignored and the company informed her that its stance was that she had resigned her position.

She was later informed that, had she not resigned, the company would have been left with no alternative other than to deal with her behaviour through a disciplinary process.