In an unusual case that has sparked widespread outrage on social media, an employer in Spain fired an employee simply because she arrived 40 minutes before her shift officially started each day. The 22-year-old employee had started reporting to work at 06:45 a.m., while her shift started at 07:30 a.m. While many companies would view this behavior as a sign of discipline, the employer took a different view.

As early as 2023, the employee had been warned several times, verbally and in writing, not to arrive earlier than 07:00 and not to perform any work tasks before 07:30. The instructions were clear: she was not allowed to log in to the system, start work, or spend time in the work area before official hours. However, she continued her usual routine.

19 repeated cases and one other incident

During the trial at the Alicante Social Court, it was revealed that the employee had accumulated 19 more early arrivals, despite successive warnings. In some cases, she had even tried to log into the company app before physically arriving at work. Furthermore, the employer accused her of selling a used battery for a company vehicle without authorization – an act that the court considered an additional element of professional dishonesty.

Court decision: dismissal, justified

The court ruled in favor of the company. According to it, the core of the problem was not “excessive punctuality,” but a deliberate refusal to follow internal work rules, which were considered a violation under Spanish labor law.

The employee still has the option to appeal the case to the Supreme Court of Valencia.

Reactions online: "It's unbelievable that they're firing you for coming early"

The story went viral, with many users expressing surprise and disbelief at such a decision. While some commentators defend the company and the importance of respecting protocols, others see the leave as excessive and absurd. The case continues to spark debates about flexibility, ethics and work culture in Spain.