BARCELONA, Spain. A Spanish court has upheld a ruling that a supermarket worker was unfairly dismissed for eating a croquette that was going to be discarded after failing to sell at the store’s deli.
The incident occurred in July 2023 when the employee consumed the fried snack, which was set to be thrown out after the store had closed for the day. Mercadona, the supermarket chain, terminated the worker for violating company policy, which prohibits employees from consuming store products without paying for them.
However, in a ruling made public on Wednesday, the Superior Court of Castilla-La Mancha upheld a May 2024 decision by a lower court that the dismissal was unjust. The court rejected Mercadona’s appeal and emphasized that it was common practice for employees to snack on “ready-to-eat” food products that were to be discarded after closing hours.
The court highlighted the fact that the worker did not eat an entire package of croquettes but only one single piece, which was “not going to be put back on sale the following day.”
As a result of the ruling, the court ordered Mercadona to reinstate the worker to his job and pay him €39,700 ($41,800) in lost wages. Additionally, the company was ordered to pay €600 ($633) in legal fees.
Mercadona has yet to respond to inquiries from The Associated Press regarding the case.
The flavor of the croquette in question was not mentioned in the court documents. Croquettes are a popular food in Spain, typically made with ingredients like ham, chicken, or cod.
Paraluman P. Funtanilla
Paraluman P. Funtanilla is Tutubi News Magazine's Marketing Specialist and is a Contributing Editor. She finished her degree in Communication Arts in De La Salle Lipa. She has worked as a Digital Marketer for start-up businesses and small business spaces for the past two years. She has earned certificates from Coursera on Brand Management: Aligning Business Brand and Behavior and Viral Marketing and How to Craft Contagious Content. She also worked with Asia Express Romania TV Show.
