Worker didn’t pay for cuppa, fired by M&S

A female employee of Marks & Spencer got into hot water and lost her job after making and consuming a hot beverage on its premises without paying for it.

A union official yesterday described as “very harsh” the decision by the Irish arm of &M&S to sack a café worker for drinking a €2 cup of coffee on its premises and not paying for it.

Mandate divisional organiser Michael Meegan said other options were open to M&S other than sacking Valerie Byrne after she admitted to drinking the coffee at the M&S café counter at its Mary St outlet in Dublin but not paying for the item.