5:00pm Saturday 28th April 2012
A SUPERMARKET baker was sacked from his job of 11 years for leaving his post at Sainsbury’s at Amblecote for less than two minutes to dash to his car.
Sainsbury’s told a Birmingham Employment Tribunal hearing that Steven Tyler, of Quantock Drive, Kidderminster, had left the store without permission.
The store had a strict policy about employees leaving the premises without permission and Mr Tyler was dismissed for breaching the regulations following a disciplinary hearing, it was said.
Mr Tyler was seeking compensation against Sainsbury’s for unfair dismissal after complaining the dismissal decision had been harsh.
Mr Tyler normally worked as a baker on the night shift at Sainsbury’s store at Kidderminster but had been transferred to the firm’s Amblecote store on a temporary basis because the Kidderminster store was being refurbished.
During the first night at the Amblecote store Mr Tyler says, in his statement, he needed to get money from his car in the car park and briefly left his job. He said he intended to dash back to his position as soon as possible.
He said in his statement: “The CCTV time bar showed I was away from my position for only one minute 48 seconds. Ironically, I was doing bread and rolls for the Kidderminster store at the time.”
He said he believed he was unfairly dismissed.
The tribunal was told by one employee that Sainsbury’s were autocratic if there was a breach of regulations but the management was always prepared to try out new ideas put forward by employees.
Questions were raised at the hearing about the use of a back door at the Amblecote store, whether it was covered by CCTV and if the footage had been viewed as evidence during the firm’s disciplinary hearing for Mr Tyler.
He was said to have spoken to an employee at the door as he went to his car.
The hearing had been listed for one day but tribunal judge John Keith said he would have to adjourn the case to a later date to hear more evidence.
Mr Tyler said he now had another job – in a factory.
Sainsbury’s at Kidderminster is now open after being closed for a week for the refurbishment.
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