A receptionist at a veterinary surgery who was terminated for reporting suspicions of theft by a colleague and was branded a “fantasist” by her employer after taking a claim over it, has won €15,600 in compensation. According to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), the receptionist reported missing cash from a till at the clinic where she worked and was told by her colleague that the “main office doesn’t need to know about everything that’s going on.” Later, the receptionist noticed her colleague putting cash from the sale of animal medication in his own wallet, but her employer refused to act because he couldn’t find a replacement vet. The WRC upheld her complaint and awarded the compensation, along with further breaches of employment law. The receptionist had worked at the clinic for five months, and the total compensation awarded in the case was €16,980.
