Katarine Baraba v Sysco Foods Ireland Unlimited Company [2026]
Decision Number: ADJ-00058288 Legal Body: Workplace Relations Commission
Published on: 14/10/2026
Article Authors The main content of this article was provided by the following authors.
Patrick Barrett BL Barrister-at-Law
Patrick Barrett BL Barrister-at-Law
Patrick barrett case reviews

The Bar of Ireland

Orchard Way, Killarney V93Y9W9.
DX: 51010 Killarney 
Tel: (087) 4361270

Patrick's legal education is robust, beginning with a BCL Law Degree from University College Cork (2012-2016), followed by an LL.M in Business Law from the same institution (2016-2017), and culminating in a Barrister-at-Law Degree from The Honorable Society of King’s Inns in Dublin (2019-2021). He has extensive experience on the South-West Circuit, handling Civil, Family, and Criminal Law cases, as well as advising the Citizen Advice Service.  He has worked as an employment consultant, dealing with workplace investigations and bankruptcy procedures.

Complainant:
Katarine Baraba
Respondent:
Sysco Foods Ireland Unlimited Company
Summary

Conflicting medical certificates defeated the employee’s disability discrimination complaint.

Background

The Complainant alleged the Respondent discriminated against her because of disability and failed to provide reasonable accommodation. Having injured her leg in September 2024, she initially worked from home before travelling to Croatia for medical assessment and treatment. She maintained that she remained capable of working remotely from Ireland, despite being unable to commute or attend the workplace. She argued that Sysco failed to assess her duties individually, identify tasks suitable for remote performance, or seek clarification from her doctor. She described a December meeting with management as harsh and alleged that her treatment changed after she received extended illness benefit. She also alleged harassment and victimisation. She relied

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Disclaimer The information in this article is provided as part of Legal Island's Employment Law Hub. We regret we are not able to respond to requests for specific legal or HR queries and recommend that professional advice is obtained before relying on information supplied anywhere within this article. This article is correct at 14/10/2026
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