A BELCOO man has settled his age discrimination case against his former employer, after he challenged a decision to make him redundant.
Seamus Gillespie, who was sales manager with bakery company WD Irwin and Sons Ltd, recently agreed to settle his case against the company for £75,000, with no admission of liability by the company.
The 60-year-old, who had worked with Irwin’s since 1991, had alleged he had been told in early 2021 the company was looking for younger professionals when recruiting staff. Mr Gillespie believed the company had believed the age profile of its staff was a problem for the business.
In his case, which was supported by the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, Mr Gillespie alleged he was informed he would lose some accounts when a vacant post was filled. He believed this led to him losing a lot of his work and diminished his role, which left him vulnerable to possible redundancy.
Mr Gillespie felt he was left out of discussions on regarding distribution changes, which he felt he should have been part of, in August 2022.
In September 2022 he was told he was at risk of redundancy, and placed in a redundancy pool of one. Mr Gillespie claimed comments were made about the fact senior management were all similar and of the same age, and the need for new blood.
Mr Gillespie appealed his redundancy, but this was not upheld.
Irwin’s has continuously denied any liability in the case.
As part of its settlement, the company reaffirmed its strong commitment to the principle of equality of opportunity in employment and to ensuring that they comply in all respects with their obligations under equality law.
The company agreed to liaise with the Equality Commission to review policies, practices and procedures, and to ensure they conform with the Employment Equality Age Regulations (NI) 2006.
Speaking after the settlement, Mr Gillespie said he had enjoyed his 30 years working for the company, stating he was “dedicated, hard working, and loyal” with lots of experience.
“But it was very clear to me, following discussions with management, that my career with the company was over,” he said.
“I firmly believed the decision to make me redundant was based solely on my age. I had no choice but to challenge how I was treated.
“I’m glad my case is now settled, although I would rather that none of this had happened in the first place.”
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