A former solicitor, Orla Howe, has accused her former employer, Co Kerry law firm Healy Crowley Ahern, of dismissing her on the grounds of gender discrimination. She filed a complaint under the Employment Equality Act 1998, in which she alleged that the firm’s principal, Colm Kelly, sacked her in what amounted to a “sham” redundancy shortly before she was due to take maternity leave. The firm, however, denied the allegations and suggests that her redundancy was due to a drop in conveyancing work and financial challenges posed by the pandemic. Ms Howe claimed that she suffered from anxiety about going into the office during her pregnancy. However, she admitted to dancing at a wedding, which took place days before she had written the email regarding her anxiety. Although Covid-19 safety guidelines were being observed at the wedding, she claimed that her former employer’s office had little ventilation and no screening. The adjudicating officer, Marie Flynn, is currently considering the decision.
