The business group El Corte Inglés risks paying compensation of 171,587.37 euros to an former collaborator, after the Superior Court has rejected the dismissal that had been applied to him, according to the Spanish newspaper As.
This worker started roles in the company in 1988 and, over the decades, was gaining responsibilities. In 2015, he began to occupy more relevant positions and, four years later, assumed the supervision of the merchandise sent to the company’s outlet at the Grancasa shopping center in Saragoça.
In this space were placed products out of fashion or with minor defects, sold with significant discounts. The application of these reductions was recorded in reports and subject to control by audits, department leaders and the purchasing management sector.
Unexpected dismissal letter
In March last year (2024), the supervisor received a letter of dismissal with immediate effects. The prosecution pointed to discounts far superior to those allowed by the company, some allegedly applied for the benefit of employees.
According to El Corte Inglés, the employee would have even practiced reductions between 70%and 90%, when the maximum limit was 50%. The audit also indicated that part of the sales involved products that had never been transferred to the outlet using personal cards from the company to simulate operations.
In view of the decision, the worker appealed to court to contest the dismissal, asking for his annulment. He argued that the discounts were within the internal rules and that the responsibility for the label was up to the outlet staff.
First decision favorable to the company
The case was initially tried at the Labor Court No. 3 of Saragoça. In this phase, the magistrate gave reason to the company, considering that the practices described in the charter of dismissal constituted a break from severe confidence, according to the same source.
The judge also pointed out that the conduct was repeated frequently and that the operations had been accepted by those responsible without any apparent contestation. For the instance, the dismissal was valid and justified.
Not satisfied, the former employee decided to appeal to the Aragon Superior Court, asking for a complete reevaluation of the process.
Superior Court changes the course
In the case review, the magistrates stressed the absence of concrete evidence confirming the irregularities. They argued that the sales procedures were being tolerated and supervised by the competent departments and the purchasing management.
Thus, the Superior Court concluded that there were not enough grounds to maintain the decision of the first instance. The dismissal was declared unfounded by the Court, giving reason to the worker, and the right to compensation.
The judgment of this Court now puts the company before two options: reintegrate the employee in his job or pay him the compensation of 171,587.37 euros, plus salaries not received from the date of dismissal, according to the.
Impact on the business group
The case draws attention to the management challenges in a group with the dimension of El Corte Inglés, where the application of discounts and commercial campaigns is subject to tight rules.
Despite the severity of the initial accusations, the courts eventually understood that the company’s own structure had allowed the questioned practices to occur.
The decision opens the door to new reflections on the responsibility of the bosses and the level of internal inspection in operations involving thousands of products and large sales volume.
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