An employment tribunal has ordered that IKEA Ireland pay £23,000 in compensation to Ian Fortune, after the company fired him for drinking a milkshake he had not bought. Fortune was dismissed from his role in the café of the Ballymun outlet, Dublin, after his manager saw him take the 97p drink without putting the item through the till.
Fortune was duly suspended by the branch’s HR manager, who later told the tribunal that she treated the incident as “gross misconduct” because it amounted to theft. The Mirror reports that Fortune did not appeal his dismissal internally as he had no faith in the company’s internal process. He went on to explain that he did not deny taking the milkshake, though he maintained that it was an honest mistake.
The Bistro Manager told the court that he had watched a group of staff members consuming the beverages after their shifts were over. When he asked them if they planned on paying for the drinks, he claimed he received "inaudible responses".
The next day, the Bistro Manager escorted Fortune from the building, whilst other employees were made to give statements. The Mirror reports that no disciplinary action was taken against them.
The tribunal concluded that “taken all in all and given the circumstances of the milkshakes and the conversation at the time the Tribunal is not satisfied that the matter amounts to a ‘substantial ground justifying the dismissal’.”
Accordingly, Fortune was granted €30,000 (£23,000) in compensation.
Marsha Smith, IKEA Dublin Store Manager, said in a statement: “We are disappointed with the outcome of the tribunal.
"However the ruling of the tribunal has been made and we are in process of reviewing the findings.”
In other news, one Starbucks employee successfully took the coffee giant to court, after she had been wrongfully dismissed for issues relating to her disability. [hr grape vine]
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