Court Rules in Favor of Worker Fired for Eating Croquette

A Spanish court has ruled in favor of a supermarket employee dismissed by Mercadona for consuming a croquette destined for the trash. In a decision announced Wednesday, the Superior Court of Castilla-La Mancha upheld a lower court's May 2024 verdict, granting justice to the worker who merely ate one unsold snack from the store's deli. The incident occurred in July 2023, prompting the employee's termination for contravening the company's policy against consuming unpaid products.

The higher court noted it was customary for employees to indulge in such "ready to eat" items after business hours, and the worker had consumed only a single croquette. The ruling stressed this "important detail," emphasizing that the snack would not have been resold. Consequently, the lower court ordered the worker's reinstatement and awarded him $41,800 in back pay. The recent verdict further mandates Mercadona to cover $633 in legal costs. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)