Habit of Employee Arriving Early Leads to Dismissal
A Spanish office employee was dismissed from her job for showing up too early, a situation that has sparked widespread discussion online.
The 22-year-old woman, who lives in Alicante in southeastern Spain, reportedly arrived at the office between 6:45 and 7:00 A.M., well before her official 7:30 A.M. shift. While many would consider such punctuality commendable, her employer viewed it differently. According to management, her habit of arriving early without assigned tasks became a source of irritation and was seen as defiance rather than dedication.
The employee had received multiple verbal and written warnings since 2023 but continued her early arrivals. Records showed that she logged into the company app even before reaching the office, and on one occasion, she was accused of selling a used company car battery without permission. Management considered these actions part of a broader pattern of insubordination and disregard for workplace rules. They argued that her behavior reflected stubbornness and a failure to follow established procedures, which they classified as serious misconduct.
Following her dismissal, the employee appealed to the Social Court of Alicante, claiming that her termination was unfair. However, the court sided with the employer, noting that the repeated warnings had been clearly communicated and ignored. The court emphasized that the dismissal was not due simply to her “excessive punctuality,” but rather to her ongoing refusal to comply with workplace rules, constituting a serious breach under Article 54 of the Spanish Workers’ Statute.
The case quickly became a topic of conversation on social media, with many netizens expressing surprise that arriving early could lead to termination. Employment experts, however, explained that companies have the right to enforce strict policies regarding access to their premises and operational procedures. In this instance, the rules were repeatedly explained to the employee, and her disregard for them justified the employer’s actions.
While the decision of the Social Court of Alicante remains in effect, the employee still has the option to escalate her case to the Supreme Court of Valencia.
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