A FORMER Dunnes Stores employee, who was fired for eating the food she was supposed to be selling, has been awarded €10,000 by the Employment Appeals Tribunal for unfair dismissal.
Christina Knowles of Johnstown Gardens in Finglas, Dublin, had worked at Dunnes Stores in Dublin’s Ilac shopping centre for 11 years when she was dismissed in July 2009.
The decision to dismiss her came after the store manager was informed that local traders were being given free food from the hot counter, where Ms Knowles was stationed. When he asked the head of security to monitor CCTV footage, staff were observed to be engaged in “continuous grazing” of the food on display.
Ms Knowles was seen drinking tea and minerals without paying for them. During one shift she was spotted eating food from the hot counter on 10 occasions.
When called into an investigatory meeting, she told her manager she had picked at the food.
She later said this was done to test the food, as customers would complain if it was undercooked. However, she did admit to only testing the food that she liked.
Management decided trust had been breached by employees regularly eating food on display and dismissed Ms Knowles for gross misconduct. Five other employees at the store also lost their jobs.
In making its determination, the tribunal noted that while Ms Knowles conduct was “clearly reprehensible”, it did not amount to gross misconduct.