Young Logistics Worker Fired After Two Years of Punctuality

A 22-year-old logistics worker in Spain was dismissed from her job after consistently arriving at work 30 to 45 minutes before the start of her shift. This behavior, which she maintained for nearly two years, reportedly caused frustration among her managers.

The woman worked for a delivery company based in the Alicante Province. Her official shift began at 7:30 a.m., but she often arrived as early as 6:45 a.m., according to reports from the UK newspaper Metro.

In 2023, the company issued multiple warnings to the employee, ranging from verbal reminders to formal written notices, urging her to stop arriving between 6:45 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. Despite these instructions, she continued to arrive early on 19 additional occasions. She also attempted to log into the company’s work management app before her scheduled start time on several occasions.

Frustrated by the situation, the woman took the case to the Social Court of Alicante, arguing that her dismissal lacked proper justification.

A woman in front of a computer. Photo by Pexels

During the first-instance hearing, the company claimed that the woman’s habit of arriving early did not add value to the workplace and instead created obstacles. According to the Spanish daily newspaper AS, the company stated that they could not assign her tasks during this hour because the workflow relied on other employees who were not yet present.

One employee reportedly said that the woman "disrupted team coordination." The woman argued that she needed to start work early due to an excessive workload, but she failed to provide any evidence to support this claim in court.

Additionally, she was accused of selling a used company car battery without permission. The judge ruled that her repeated refusal to follow scheduling orders demonstrated a lack of discipline. Based on this, the court concluded that her continued violation of workplace rules constituted a serious offense under Article 54 of the Spanish Workers’ Statute, which allows for dismissal without compensation.

Labor law expert Alberto Paya noted that the judge viewed the woman’s actions as a serious breach of trust and loyalty expected between employees and their employers.

The case sparked discussions on Spanish social media, with many users expressing support for the woman. One online comment read, "If you’re late, they’re angry. If you’re early, they’re angry." Another user remarked, "This is the first time I’ve heard someone could lose their job for arriving early. At my workplace the boss would turn you into a statue."

Despite the ruling, the woman still has the right to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court of Valencia.