Iarnród Éireann sought volunteers for redundancy. The plaintiff showed an interest and received an estimate of the package to be expected. He asked to proceed and received a “Voluntary Severance Offer”. He signed the paperwork and returned it. 

Mr Browne was informed of his termination date and set about making arrangements. He later got a call (on the day of his daughter's wedding) from a manager stating that his voluntary severance package had not, in fact, been approved and that he was obliged to return to work. He did return ( in fact, Mr Browne continued in employment until he retired in 2009 at the age of 65 in the usual way) but was not happy and the matter