Dublin Asian Restaurant Ordered to Pay Chef €30,150 for Unfair Dismissal

The Workplace Relations Commission found the restaurant's reasons for termination were not serious enough to justify firing the long-serving employee.

Apr. 7, 2026 at 11:14am

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A high-end, photorealistic studio still-life photograph featuring a chef's uniform, a microwave, and a few pieces of kitchen equipment arranged elegantly on a clean, monochromatic seamless background, conceptually representing the abstract concepts of workplace fairness and the importance of due process.A restaurant's dismissal of a long-serving chef over minor kitchen infractions is ruled unfair, underscoring the need for employers to follow proper disciplinary procedures.Dublin Today

The Workplace Relations Commission has ordered a Dublin Asian restaurant to pay a chef €30,150 after finding the restaurant unfairly dismissed the employee. The chef, who had worked at the restaurant for a long time, was fired after allegedly directing that roast duck be reheated in a microwave and continuing to prepare cooked food that had fallen onto the kitchen floor. However, the adjudicator ruled that these actions "fall far short of the type of serious and deliberate misconduct capable of justifying dismissal, let alone summary dismissal."

Why it matters

This case highlights the importance of following proper disciplinary procedures and ensuring that the reasons for termination are truly serious enough to warrant dismissal, even in the food service industry where high standards are expected. The ruling sets a precedent that restaurants cannot simply fire long-serving employees over minor infractions without due process.

The details

The chef, who had worked at Ecoco Asian Kitchen in Dublin for a significant period of time, was fired after allegedly directing that roast duck be reheated in a microwave and continuing to prepare cooked food that had fallen onto the kitchen floor. However, Workplace Relations Commission Adjudicator Breiffni O'Neill found these actions did not constitute serious enough misconduct to justify the restaurant's decision to summarily dismiss the employee.

  • The incident occurred in early 2026.

The players

Ecoco Asian Kitchen

A Dublin-based Asian restaurant that dismissed a long-serving chef.

Breiffni O'Neill

The Workplace Relations Commission adjudicator who ruled the restaurant's dismissal of the chef was unfair.

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What they’re saying

“they fall far short of the type of serious and deliberate misconduct capable of justifying dismissal, let alone summary dismissal”

— Breiffni O'Neill, Workplace Relations Commission Adjudicator

The takeaway

This case serves as a reminder to employers in the food service industry that they must follow proper disciplinary procedures and have strong justification to terminate long-serving employees, even for alleged infractions related to food handling. Restaurants cannot simply fire workers over minor issues without due process.