The decision to sack an easyJet air hostess for eating a bacon sandwich on a flight was a rash one, a tribunal has decided.
Shannon Gleeson, 22, who had an exemplary record over three years working for the airline, was dismissed for gross misconduct and theft for tucking into the £4.50 bacon butty meant for passengers.
Her manager had given her the sandwich because she had a nut allergy and had not been able to find safe food to eat on the flight back from Amsterdam.
But accepting the sandwich had serious re-pork-ussions for both members of staff. Ms Gleeson was sacked because she didn’t ask the manager if the food had been paid for, and the cabin crew manager was also dismissed, the tribunal at Cambridge Magistrates Court heard.
The panel heard Ms Gleeson may have been wrongly dismissed because easyJet’s policy placed no obligation on the consumer to see a receipt if food was given to them.
The incident, in 2015, led to an investigation by easyJet and Ms Gleeson was called into a meeting, where she offered to pay for the food, but she was sacked. The cabin manager was also dismissed.
Judge Michael Ord said: "You have actually got to show some loss for there to be a theft. I see no evidence that anything was paid for or not paid for."
Paul Hinton, from easyJet, told the hearing Shannon was an ‘accomplice’ in the theft.
"In my 12 years of flying it is very unusual for a crew member to receive an item of revenue (passenger food)," he said.
EasyJet said: "easyJet has settled this matter with Ms Gleeson and so cannot comment in any further detail other than to say that we have clear and well-understood policies and the honesty of our employees is really important."
