Security guard fired after locking people in museum awarded over €6,300 in compensation

Seán McCárthaigh

A security company has been ordered to pay compensation of over €6,300 to a security guard who was fired after a series of incidents, including leaving a fire door open and locking two members of the public in a museum.

The Workplace Relations Commission ruled that security firm, CK Executive Services Ireland Limited, had unfairly dismissed Maria Monzon from her job on procedural grounds, despite having a reasonable cause to fire her.

The WRC heard that the Mexican national's probation period as a security officer was terminated on March 25th 2025, following an incident in which she left an electric heater powered on and a fire door open in the museum where she was assigned to work.

The complainant had already been on a final written warning for serious negligence after an earlier incident on February 6th, 2025 when two members of the public were briefly locked in the museum after Ms Monzon had not checked that everyone had left the building.

Ms Monzon had commenced work as a security guard in January 2024, where she was assigned to work in a financial services company in south Dublin.

The WRC heard her probation period had been extended in July 2024 due to her failure to follow correct procedures in relation to the handling of keys, ID badges, contractors on site and other security protocols.

Ms Monzon was moved to a smaller, less complex site in Dublin city centre, which houses a museum in September 202,4 after she had left a gate open at the financial services company.

She was suspended in February 2025 when CK Executive Services discovered she was using the gym on the site where she had previously worked after being “swiped” in by her mother who was a member of the cleaning staff.

While the matter was being investigated, the company became aware of the other incidents at the museum.

Ms Monzon’s solicitor, Patrick Jones, said his client was unaware that a colleague was not referring to themselves when he informed her there were just two people left in the museum.

Mr Jones said she also denied the allegation that she had left a fire door open and a heater plugged in.

CK Executive Services risk manager, John Clare, gave evidence that Ms Monzon was dismissed for “several protocol failures.”

In her ruling, WRC adjudication officer Catherine Byrne said the security company had a reasonable cause to dismiss Ms Monzon and she believed most employers in similar circumstances would have reached that conclusion.

“It seems to me that the job of a security officer wasn’t suitable for her and it was inevitable that she was going to be dismissed sooner rather than later,” said Ms Byrne.

However, she said the dismissal was unfair on procedural grounds as the complainant had not received written notice of either an investigative or disciplinary meeting.

Ms Byrne said it was also imperative that she should have been represented to be able to mount a defence given that English is not her first language.

The WRC official noted that Ms Monzon had replied “yes” or “no” to most questions at an investigative meeting and there was no evidence that she was aware she was being called to a disciplinary meeting at which her dismissal was being contemplated or told she had a right to appeal

The WRC heard Ms Monzon has subsequently decided to retrain as a personal trainer.

Ms Byrne ordered CK Executive Services Ireland to pay the complainant compensation of €4,000 for the unfair dismissal – the equivalent of just over six weeks’ gross pay.

She also ordered the company to pay Ms Monzon a further €2,327 over unpaid wages.