A state employment watchdog has ordered Teagasc to pay €40,000 compensation to a female statistician allegedly paid around €20,000 a year less than a male colleague doing similar work.
Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) adjudicator, Jim Dolan has made the order after finding that the state agricultural advisory and research body discriminated against Paula Reid on the grounds of gender by failing to provide her with equal pay in respect of a male comparator under the Employment Equality Act.
Along with the €40,000 compensation payout, Dolan has also ordered Teagasc to pay Reid arrears since 2017 – and this could total almost €100,000 based on figures provided by Paula Reid to the WRC.
As part of the order, Jim Dolan has ordered Teagasc to put Paula Reid on the appropriate pay scale that her male comparator was on from May 1, 2017 and that any arrears of remuneration be paid to her within the period of two months.
‘Absolutely shocking’ handling by Teagasc
The WRC adjudicator has ordered the head of HR at Teagasc to apologise to Reid for the department’s past and present “very inept” handling of her claim.
Jim Dolan has described Teagasc’s treatment of Reid’s equal pay claim as “absolutely shocking”.
The WRC hearing was told that Paula Reid was paid substantially less than her male comparator, earning approximately €20,000 per annum less than him.
Barrister Ray Ryan instructed by Ronan Killeen, Killeen Solicitors told the WRC that Paula Reid “was paid significantly less” than her counterpart and “she was, in substance and in essence, doing the same work as him”.
Dolan made his comment that Teagasc’s treatment of Reid’s pay claim was “absolutely shocking” after citing an email by Reid to Teagasc’s Employee Relations Manager outlining the body’s lack of action in dealing with her claim.
Teagasc employment
Paula Reid has been employed with Teagasc since January 1977 and in an email dated August 19, 2019, she stated: “This issue has been ongoing for 18 years and nothing has progressed and there appears no willingness on the part of HR to resolve it.
Reid stated: “I have had meetings / correspondence on this issue in 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009 with HR [human resources], Declan Troy, Tom Kirley, Seamus Crosse and nothing has advanced.
“I have been in the post of statistician since 2001 and now you want to determine if I am suitable to do the job. It appears to me that HR are making every excuse not to progress this matter,” she stated.
Dolan said that the job description in Teagasc’s employee directory of Paul Reid and her male comparator (who retired in 2020) “are identical”.
Discrimination claim to WRC
The WRC adjudicator stated that Paula Reid had crossed two hurdles in successfully making her discrimination claim – he or she must establish like work, and he or she must identify a comparator engaged in like work who is paid a greater amount.
Reid denied the difference in remuneration with her colleague can be explained or justified by grade, skills, experiences and qualifications.
Teagasc argued that Reid is a technician statistician and that her comparator was a senior research scientist statistician and had a completely different level of responsibility in his role.
In a letter from March 2020, Teagasc’s solicitors stated that the difference in remuneration between Reid and her comparator “relates to Dr. Grant’s grade, skills, experience and qualifications and not gender”.
Teagasc’s solicitors stated that “Ms Reid provides statistical analysis support to research staff primarily in the Food Directorate on the design, analysis and interpretation of controlled experiments, collaborates on research projects and has not produced any peer-reviewed publications”.
They argued that “Dr. Grant is currently a senior research officer in Teagasc with significant experience working at this level for over 15 years, having completed a PhD 18 years ago”.
They stated that he “is a leader within Teagasc in terms of statistical support to all areas of the organisation, he carries out large-scale projects, contributes to the business planning process and has prepared numerous peer-reviewed publications”.