u/Disastrous_Web_28

Honestly still in shock writing this.

My partner got terminated today. Six months in, last day of his probation, and they just handed him a letter. No reason. Nothing. Not even a conversation. No reason on the letter.

What makes it worse is he left a permanent job for this. They headhunted him, promised him a great role, good salary, exciting project. From day one the place was a mess — no HR, no proper structure, no clear job roles, nothing. But he kept his head down and worked hard because that's just who he is.

Then today out of nowhere — gone. No warnings, no performance reviews, no feedback ever. Just a letter with no explanation.

He is really struggling. He is an immigrant who built his career here from scratch and he is now seriously doubting himself. It is hard to watch someone so hardworking go through this.

I have been reading about WRC but honestly don't know if it is even worth pursuing given he was on probation. But six months feels significant and the fact they gave absolutely no reason has to mean something legally, right?

Has anyone actually gone through the WRC process in Ireland? Did it go anywhere? Was it worth the stress?

Any advice would mean a lot right now. Especially from anyone who has been through something similar as an immigrant here. We feel quite alone with this.

Thanks

My partner came to Ireland during COVID as an international hire — he was actually the first international employee at his company, an energy sector firm. He joined at a good salary for the time, worked incredibly hard, and built real expertise in energy project coordination and grants over three years.

The frustrating part is that after he joined, the company started hiring fresh graduates for the same kind of work at lower salaries. When he asked about a pay raise after two years, he was told they wanted to "minimise salary differences" — essentially meaning they were levelling down to the cheaper hires rather than rewarding loyalty. No proper raise in three years despite being one of their most experienced people. Still, he stayed professional, worked hard, and kept delivering.

Late last year he was headhunted. A small but growing energy company approached him with a better title, a significant salary increase, and an exciting pitch — they were building a new team focused on energy grants, which is exactly his area of expertise. He was hesitant because he was on a permanent contract and didn't want to take a risk, so they assured him and offered him a role in their solar operations as well. He made the move in good faith.

From the beginning things felt off. The company had no real HR structure, no clear policies, no defined job roles. Things were disorganised but he kept his head down and tried to make it work. A few months in they told him the grants team was being pushed back and moved him fully into solar operations — despite him being upfront from day one that his background was in project management and coordination, not technical solar.

Then without any warning, without any performance review, without any feedback — on the last day of his probation — they handed him a termination letter. No reason given. Nothing.

He had been working there for 6 months. He left a permanent role for this.

He is now really shaken. He is questioning himself, his abilities, his decisions. He is one of the most hardworking and dedicated people I know and watching him doubt himself because of how badly this company handled everything is heartbreaking.

His background is computer science degree, project management and coordination experience, three years in the Irish energy sector. He is based in Cork and cannot relocate.

I am looking for advice on a few things:

Has anyone been through something similar as an immigrant in Ireland — terminated at end of probation with no reason given?

Is it worth pursuing anything legally given the 6 months service and no reason provided?

Any honest advice on the Cork job market for project management and energy sector roles?

How did you keep your confidence and mental health intact during a job search after something like this?

Any general advice for immigrants navigating the Irish job market would be genuinely appreciated

We are both feeling overwhelmed right now. He worked so hard to build a life here and moments like this make you question everything. But we are trying to stay positive and keep moving forward.

Any advice, shared experiences, or even just words of encouragement would mean a lot right now. Thank you.