Firm can't fire man for 1.8 cent theft
A German company that fired a man for the theft of 1.8 euro cents (two U.S. cents) worth of electricity had no grounds for sacking him, a court ruled, dismissing the firm's appeal against his reinstatement.
Network administrator Oliver Beel lost his job after charging his Segway, a two-wheeled electric vehicle, at work in May 2009. After he connected the vehicle to the firm's power source for 1-1/2 hours, his boss asked him to remove it.
Twelve days later Beel found himself without a job.
The court ruled that dismissal was disproportionate to the offence, especially given the "minimal electricity cost involved, the plaintiff's 19-year employment by the company and the fact other employees charged mobile phones and digital photo frames at the firm's expense without punishment."
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1 comment:
While owning a Segway is in itself an indicator of borderline psychological issues, or being too rich... ridiculous to sack someone for "stealing" electricity. People abuse telephone minutes way more than they do electricity at work on personal calls.
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