Dunnes Stores used CCTV to spy on staff suspected of eating at deli

Retail giant Dunnes Stores secretly spied on staff who were suspected of eating food at a store’s deli counter without paying.

The disclosure emerged during the course of an unfair dismissal action taken by a female deli worker who admitted to eating the food while at work.

The Employment Appeals Tribunal criticised Dunnes for its investigation of the woman that involved deploying CCTV cameras.

In ruling that the retailer had unfairly dismissed the deli worker, the tribunal found that the investigation "fell short of acceptable practice".

John Douglas, general secretary of Mandate, which represents 6,000 Dunnes workers said yesterday: "Dunnes Stores has very serious questions to answer on its behaviour of installing cameras to place its workers on constant surveillance without them knowing about it. It is something we would frown upon."

Dunnes Stores’ head of security confirmed he installed two CCTV cameras in a deli and retail area at the request of a store manager.

The manager told the tribunal the eating of food without payment breached the company’s employee purchases policy.

The surveillance provided evidence in relation to eight incidents over two days in September 2011 relating to the worker who was subsequently dismissed.

She told the tribunal she did not see any malice in her actions, stating that she "would have eaten a chip, goujon, or chicken wing".

She said food which is not purchased or consumed is thrown out at the end of each day and that she apologised to the store manager.

The CCTV evidence was presented to the worker on October 7, 2011 and she admitted to consuming food without payment. She was suspended without pay and dismissed the next day.

The tribunal was satisfied the woman contributed two thirds to her dismissal, and awarded her €8,000 under the Unfair Dismissal Acts and an additional €511 — the equivalent of two week’s pay under the Minimum Notice and Terms of Employments Act.

Dunnes Stores did not respond to a request for comment.