An El Corte Inglés worker with nearly 36 years of service was fired in March 2024, after the company accused him of irregularities in applying discounts in the electronics area of the outlet at the Grancasa shopping center in Zaragoza. The employee, who had worked for the company since March 1988 and held the position of regional coordinator for electronics in Aragon and Navarra, was also accused of favoring employees through undue discounts and of failures in labeling and moving merchandise. The company based the accusations on an internal audit carried out after an anonymous complaint.
The worker took the matter to court, arguing that he had not directly made the questioned sales and that various procedures were known to other managers. Labor Court No. 3 of Zaragoza ruled in his favor in April 2025, declaring the dismissal unjustified. El Corte Inglés appealed to the Superior Court of Justice of Aragon, insisting that there had been a serious breach of contractual good faith and the trust placed in the worker.
The Superior Court of Justice of Aragon upheld the first-instance decision, concluding that it was not proven that the worker had directly made the sales with irregular discounts or been responsible for labeling the merchandise. The court also considered that transfers of merchandise without physical movement to the outlet were a habitual and consented practice, and that the discount system was known to different levels of the company's structure.
The judges also concluded that intent to defraud, undue personal benefit, or economic damage to El Corte Inglés directly attributable to the worker was not proven. Given the absence of proof of serious and culpable conduct, the court considered that the conditions for justifying dismissal were not met. The company was required to choose between reinstating the employee, paying remuneration since the dismissal, or delivering compensation of 171,587.37 euros.
