Gousto packager SACKED after eating stolen peanuts on factory floor

A 65-year-old food packer for Gousto has been fired after she ate peanuts stolen from the factory floor, an employment tribunal has heard.

Barbara Lisowska was sacked for gross misconduct in May 2024 after being observed eating nuts on the factory floor at the firm's Warrington, Cheshire, facility.

Her dismissal centred on concerns over food contamination and the potential danger posed to customers suffering from nut allergies.

Ms Lisowska contested her termination at a Manchester hearing, maintaining she was incapable of eating peanuts due to wearing dentures.

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The employment judge ruled against her appeal, with CCTV evidence from April 12, 2024, showing she had in fact eaten them.

Surveillance footage presented to the tribunal revealed Ms Lisowska consuming food at her workstation before concealing an object inside her sleeve.

The recording subsequently captured her disposing of something in a nearby bin, according to evidence heard at the hearing.

Empty containers of peanuts belonging to the company were discovered in that same bin.

Despite the video evidence, Ms Lisowska maintained her innocence, denying she had taken the two packets of nuts.

The tribunal heard she was dismissed specifically for violating health and safety regulations concerning food contamination, which posed serious risks to customers with allergies.

Ms Lisowska, who is of Polish nationality, alleged her termination was motivated by racial discrimination and connected to her ongoing health issues.

"My dismissal was not an isolated incident but the final act in a continuous course of discriminatory treatment," the mother of one said.

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She further attributed her sacking to "harassment linked to my health condition" and "because of my lack of English and my need for a Polish interpreter".

The tribunal rejected these claims alongside her unfair dismissal appeal.

Gousto, which delivers recipe boxes to customers across the country, operates manufacturing sites in both Warrington and Lincolnshire.

The company also maintains its corporate headquarters in London and employs approximately 1,200 staff across its various locations.

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