Three cold coffees cost a supermarket employee his job in Spain, but the case ended up in court and now the company must compensate him with around 21 thousand euros.
The event dates back to 2025 in the Basque Country. The employee, who had been working for the company for eight years, was filmed by security cameras consuming three coffees.
The products were removed from sale after the cold chain was broken and could no longer be sold to customers. However, the supermarket decided to fire him, considering his action a breach of trust and an “act of disloyalty” towards the company. The employee challenged the decision in court.
A court in Vitoria ruled that he should be reinstated and receive 87.85 euros for each day from the moment of leave, or be compensated with over 21 thousand euros.
The company appealed the decision, but the Basque High Court of Justice ruled in the employee’s favor. According to the court, consuming three coffees could not be considered appropriation of the company’s products, as they were no longer intended for sale.
Also, the employee had not been warned in advance that the consumption of such products was prohibited. For this reason, the disciplinary leave was considered a “disproportionate” measure.