A Spanish court has confirmed a previous ruling that a supermarket employee was unjustly terminated for consuming a croquette that was intended for disposal due to lack of sales.
The incident occurred in July 2023 when the worker ate the fried snack, which was set to be thrown away after the store’s closing time.
Recently, the Superior Court of Castilla-La Mancha dismissed an appeal from the supermarket chain, upholding a lower court’s decision made in May 2024 that favored the employee.
The supermarket chain maintains a strict policy that prohibits workers from eating any items that have not been purchased.
Nonetheless, the higher court recognized that it was a common occurrence for employees to consume “ready to eat” items slated for disposal after closing hours.
They specifically noted that the worker did not consume an entire package but rather just one croquette, which was “not going to be put back on sale the following day.”
The ruling from the lower court mandated that the employee be reinstated in his position and awarded him compensation of 39,700 euros (equivalent to approximately $41,800) for unpaid wages.
Furthermore, the higher court stipulated that the supermarket must also compensate the worker with an additional 600 euros ($633) to cover his legal expenses.
Court records did not specify the type of croquette involved, which is a well-known Spanish cuisine item, commonly filled with ingredients such as ham, chicken, or cod.