Dunnes must pay fired checkout operator €21,000

Dunnes Stores has been ordered to pay almost €21,000 to a former checkout operator at its Kilkenny branch for wrongly firing her — despite the fact she admitted putting customers’ points on her own loyalty card in breach of company policy.

However, an Employment Appeals Tribunal ruling was highly critical of the group over a flawed disciplinary process it used to sack Ying Liu.

Ms Liu, of Hazel Grove, Loughboy, Kilkenny, was dismissed in May 2010 following an investigation by Dunnes Stores into excessive use of her loyalty card.