Kaufland employee sues for alleged theft!

In Brandenburg an der Havel, a Kaufland employee named Karola S. stands before the State Labor Court of Berlin-Brandenburg (LAG). The saleswoman employed in 1992 at Kaufland brought an action against her termination, which was expressed due to the suspicion of theft. The accusation is that she deliberately stolen eight packs of care, which vehemently denies Karola S.

The incident occurred in August 2023 when Karola S. paid for her purchase with a money card. The caretaker packs were not scanned and therefore remained unnoticed. The following day she was invited to a staff discussion in which a termination agreement was offered. Under pressure to avoid a possible criminal complaint, she signed this contract. The works council also asked her to admit what she allegedly stolen, which Karola S. perceives as an inappropriate threat.

lawsuit and legal examination

her lawyer, Simon Daniel Schmedes, states that the threat was unfair and that she had burdened herself with her confession. Karola S. asserts that he has not noticed the shortfall when leaving the business. This was rejected by Karola S.'s appeal and was justified. The judges considered the broken trust that arose as decisive due to the suspicion of theft. The amount of the damage played a subordinate role.

According to the general legal framework, an employee who commits theft as part of his work can be terminated without notice. The value of the stolen object is usually irrelevant, since theft significantly affects the relationship of trust between employers and employees. A termination without notice must usually be pronounced within two weeks of the announcement of the reasons for termination.

Simon Daniel Schmedes has already announced that it would notify the Federal Labor Court in Erfurt in order to contest the LAG's decision.