THE FOUR-STAR Gresham Hotel in Dublin has been ordered to pay €500 compensation to a man left “humiliated” over a Covid-mask incident at the hotel at the height of the pandemic.

In the case, Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) adjudicator Davnet O’Driscoll has ordered the Gresham Hotel to pay the €500 to James Oliver Tattan over his discrimination complaint under the Employment Equality Act.

Prior to December 2020, Tattan had been going to the Gresham for 40 years.

Tattan told the WRC that he was in the hotel lobby on 16 December 2020 when he was approached by a hotel porter asking him where his Covid-19 mask was.

Tattan stated that he is not required to wear a mask as he has a serious health condition which prevents him from wearing a mask and is exempt. 

He submitted evidence to confirm his disability and had a letter confirming his disability, but the hotel porter refused to look at it. 

Tattan said that he was humiliated and embarrassed as other people in the hotel were looking over. 

He said that he asked the porter three times: “Are you putting me out of the hotel?”

Tattan outlined that he was upset due to what happened and didn’t want more hassle so he left, sand went to met his friend elsewhere. He has not returned to the hotel.

He said that he was never offered a face shield as an alternative to wearing a mask. 

In her findings, O’Driscoll said that she appreciated that the incident took place at the height of the pandemic when the hotel were endeavouring to keep staff and guests safe and to comply with health and safety law. 

O’Driscoll stated that there is a conflict between the submission of the hotel and Tattan’s evidence and she accepted Tatton’s evidence that he was not given the option of wearing a face-shield and felt he had no option but to leave the hotel. 

As a result, O’Driscoll found the Gresham Hotel discriminated against Tattan under the Employment Equality Acts and awarded him €500 for his distress and the effects of discrimination.

As part of its case before the WRC, the Gresham Hotel stated that the employee involved in the incident has left the hotel and returned to another country.  

The employee said a gentleman came into the hotel on 16 December 2020 at around 3pm and he told the guest that he must wear a mask before entering.  

The hotel stated that Tattan did not produce any letter confirming a medical condition preventing him from wearing a mask. 

The hotel stated that the incident took place at the height of the pandemic and the hotel’s procedure is if a guest cannot wear a mask the person is then offered a face shield. 

The hotel stated that it has zero tolerance for discrimination and was complying with health and safety protocols for the protection of guests and staff of the hotel.