Deli worker unfairly dismissed for taking home two spoonfuls of oven cleaner

A deli worker at a Co Meath service station was unfairly dismissed for taking two spoonfuls of oven cleaner in a coffee cup home with her.

The Employment Appeals Tribunal ruled that Madara Cebina receive €13,180 from XL Fuels Group Ltd after finding the Latvian worker was unfairly dismissed.

The owner of XL Fuels Group is oil distributor Michael Curran, aged 47, of Curran Oil, Oldcastle, Co Meath.

Ms Cebina told the tribunal that she put two spoonfuls of oven cleaner from the tub used in the store into a takeaway cup which she brought home with her.

She took a lift home with her supervisor and told her what was in the cup. A short time later she said that her supervisor phoned and said that the owner wanted to know what she had in the cup.

Ms Cebina said she then received a call from an administrative assistant at the firm, who told her that she should not report for work. Ms Cebina said that she asked her colleague did she mean the following day or forever, and her colleague responded ‘forever’.

The worker said that she asked if it was because of the oven cleaner, and after a pause her colleague agreed that it was.

Ms Cebina offered to pay for the cleaner and told the tribunal that she was “very shocked”.

The firm contended that Ms Cebina requested her P45 and left of her own accord.

The woman began work at the deli in June 2010 and remained working there until October 2013.