Dublin, November 12, 2025: The Health Service Executive (HSE) has been ordered to pay almost €87,000 in compensation to a hospital pharmacist after the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) found that it had “wholly failed” to take proper steps to protect her from a senior colleague who repeatedly sexually harassed her.
In a strongly worded ruling, WRC adjudication officer Conor Stokes held that the HSE had breached the Employment Equality Act, stating that the organisation’s inaction effectively discriminated against the complainant by denying her a safe and dignified work environment. The award — equivalent to a year’s salary — was also intended to serve as a deterrent to potential harassers and a reminder to employers of their legal obligations to safeguard employees.
Pattern of Harassment Ignored
The case centred on a series of incidents involving a senior pharmacist in his late 40s, employed at the hospital since 2007, who repeatedly subjected his female colleague to inappropriate and offensive behaviour. The complainant told the WRC that the harassment escalated over time, culminating on June 20, 2024, when he showed her an image of male genitalia.
Despite admitting to two incidents of sexual harassment and apologising for what he described as “intimidating and offensive behaviour,” the senior pharmacist remained in his post for more than a year. During that period, he repeatedly violated safeguarding measures that were supposed to limit his contact with the complainant.
The complainant described how she was effectively ostracised, forced to work away from the main dispensary — where she previously spent around 70% of her time — while the harasser continued in his regular role. She said this arrangement left her feeling punished for reporting the misconduct.
Disturbing Incidents
The pharmacist recounted a pattern of inappropriate comments and actions beginning in May 2023, when her colleague remarked that he could “see her in the shower” from his house while she was purchasing a new home. In January 2024, he allegedly showed her a photo of two women and asked which one she found prettier, later commenting that he preferred one because “she had larger breasts.”
Other incidents included comments about her appearance, attempts to block her from leaving the dispensary, and remarks about her lips. Following the explicit photo incident, she filed a formal complaint in June 2024.
However, the complainant said she had to take two periods of stress-related sick leave, as the senior pharmacist continued entering her office despite HR instructions to stay away.
Failure of Safeguards and Due Process
An HSE employee relations manager testified that an investigation, concluded in August 2025, found in favour of the complainant and recommended disciplinary action. However, adjudicator Conor Stokes criticised the HSE’s handling of the matter, questioning why the complainant’s right to safety and fairness appeared secondary to the accused’s “entitlement to due process.”
Mr Stokes noted that a “reasonable employer” would have placed the accused on paid leave while investigations were ongoing. Instead, the complainant was repeatedly relocated, while the harasser “repeatedly inserted himself into what should have been a safe environment.”
He further highlighted the complainant’s claim that HSE policies made it difficult for victims to report harassment and failed to provide them with a designated support person. “The HSE’s policies appear difficult on victims but easy on alleged harassers — and it is hard to conclude otherwise,” Mr Stokes observed.
WRC’s Findings and Award
The WRC found the complainant’s testimony credible and accepted that all described incidents had occurred. It concluded that the HSE’s inaction and delay — spanning more than a year — denied her an effective remedy and exposed her to continued distress.
“The complainant’s rights appear to have been forgotten while the HSE focused primarily on protecting the accused,” Mr Stokes said. “The only practical action taken was to move the complainant repeatedly, while the harasser was not ‘put out’ at all.”
In addition to ordering the €86,717 compensation, the WRC directed the HSE to disregard the complainant’s stress-related sick leave from her official record. The ruling serves as a stern reminder of employers’ duty to act swiftly and decisively in addressing workplace harassment and ensuring equal treatment under the law.
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