Deadline Couriers ordered to pay maximum compensation of €50,440 to worker for sexual assault and failure to put prevention measures in place

The Workplace Relations Commission has ordered Deadline Direct Ltd, trading as Deadline Couriers, to pay a maximum sum of €50,440 to employee Charlotte O’Brien for failing to implement harassment prevention measures and mishandling an incident of sexual assault. Adjudicating officer Breiffni O’Neill found that Ms O’Brien had given “uncontradicted and wholly credible evidence” of being assaulted by a colleague, witnessed by several male co-workers. The firm’s employee handbook lacked a clear policy on sexual harassment, and no training had been provided to employees prior to the incident. The new dignity at work policy since introduced by the company “will be of little benefit”, according to Mr. O’Neill. Ms O’Brien is still an employee but is deemed “unlikely” to return to work soon.