A 22-year-old woman in Spain has been fired for repeatedly arriving at work around 40 minutes before her shift, despite two years of warnings to stop. Her employer had instructed her not to show up between 6:45am and 7am, as her workday officially began at 7:30am, and she was not allowed to clock in or start work early. Still, she continued arriving well before her shift with no assigned tasks.
The company eventually dismissed her for what it called serious misconduct, arguing that her persistent early arrivals were an act of disobedience, not dedication, since she was intentionally ignoring clear instructions. She later challenged the dismissal at the Social Court of Alicante, claiming it was unfair.
During the hearing, the court heard that she had disregarded multiple verbal and written warnings and had arrived early on at least 19 occasions. Records also showed she tried logging into the company system through a mobile app before even reaching the workplace on some days. The employer further accused her of breaching trust by selling a used company car battery without permission—an issue the court said added to a pattern of disloyal behaviour.
The court ultimately ruled in favour of the employer, noting that the problem was not her punctuality but her deliberate refusal to follow workplace rules. Judges concluded that her behaviour amounted to a serious breach under Article 54 of the Spanish Workers’ Statute, which outlines grounds for disciplinary dismissal. Although she may still appeal to the Supreme Court of Valencia, the ruling remains in effect for now.
