The Equality Tribunal has awarded an office worker €15,000 in compensation after upholding her complaint of pregnancy-related discrimination.
In only the third pregnancy-related case to be decided upon by the tribunal, Ms Laura Fearn was found to have been "demoted and sidelined" by Emerald Contract Cleaners "for no other reason that she was pregnant".
The tribunal has also fined a public house for refusing service to a couple who had a sleeping nine-month old baby with them on the premises after a 7 p.m. threshold.
The decisions are two of 13 published the tribunal in its latest bulletin today.
They cover six employment cases, two of which were upheld, and seven equal status cases, four of which were upheld.
All four of the equal status cases which were upheld related to discrimination by licensed premises and all but one related to the non-service of members of the Travelling community.
In the pregnancy-related case, the complainant alleged she was demoted, sidelined and refused sick leave which had been paid before her pregnancy became known almost three years ago.
The respondent, represented by Management Support Services (Ireland) Ltd, denied the allegations.
The investigating equality officer found in Ms Fearn's favour and ordered the company to compensate her for "loss of opportunity and stress, which she suffered as a result of the discriminatory treatment" - which included her subjection to discriminatory comments.
The other employment case upheld was that of Mr Simon McGarr vs the Department of Finance, in which the complainant claimed he had been discriminated against on grounds of age due to the eligibility requirements for Civil Service promotions.
The equality officer awarded Mr McGarr €1,500 in compensation for "indirect" discrimination.
Ms Gráinne Travers and Mr Timothy Maunsell were each awarded €750 for discrimination on family status grounds after being told to leave the Ball Alley House, Lucan, Dublin at 7 p.m. on May 11th, 2001, because they had a sleeping baby with them on the premises.
The pub denied it had discriminated against them and said the couple were asked to leave as they were in breach of its policy on children.
However, the equality officer said the core issue in this case was whether the Equal Status Act 2000 allowed a pub to refuse service in a situation where there was no apparent risk of disorder or risk to health and safety.
Finding against the pub, the officer said: "Discrimination law cannot be interpreted to condone blanket measures which affect an unnecessarily broad group of people."
Mr Martin Stokes was awarded €1,500 for discrimination on grounds of being a Traveller when he was refused service at the 79 Inn, Dublin, owned by Regdale Ltd.
Mr Edward O'Reilly and Ms Ann O'Reilly were awarded €1,000 each in the same case.
