Worker Fired for Drinking Awarded $55K by Spanish Court

Who’s the real dingus here, is the question? The man for drinking on the job, or the company for firing him?

Drinking on the job is generally considered grounds for immediate dismissal.

Unless, apparently, you’re in Spain.

A former electrical installation company worker was fired after a private detective reportedly caught him drinking beer during work hours — including allegedly consuming three liters during one lunch break.

According to court documents, the company became suspicious of the unnamed employee’s behavior and hired a private investigator to monitor him. The report claimed the worker was drinking beer in bars and parking lots during the day.

Because the employee was responsible for driving a company vehicle, the company viewed the drinking as a serious safety concern and terminated him.

Instead of accepting the dismissal, the worker sued for wrongful termination.

And surprisingly, the High Court of Justice of Murcia ruled in his favor.

While the court acknowledged the misconduct, judges determined the punishment was excessive and declared the dismissal unfair. The company was given two options: rehire the employee or pay him 47,000 euros (approximately $55,000) in compensation.

The court based its decision on several key factors:

• Lunch breaks were not technically considered working hours.
• The company could not provide evidence that the drinking affected the employee’s performance.
• There was no proof he had endangered others.
• Spanish law allows dismissal for habitual drunkenness, not isolated incidents.

The detective’s findings were considered isolated episodes.

So yes — three liters at lunch.

And a $55,000 payout.

Now if you’ll excuse me… *Books trip to Spain immediately.*