A curious employment case in Spain has drawn attention: a delivery service worker was fired not for being late, but for being overly punctual. She regularly arrived at work far earlier than her official start time, despite multiple warnings from management.
According to her contract, the workday was supposed to begin at 7:30 AM. However, she often showed up between 6:45 and 7:00, starting the shift before her colleagues. Management argued that this disrupted work organization and created tension within the team.
The first official reprimand was issued back in 2023, but the employee continued her habit. In 2025 the employer decided to terminate her for a “serious offense,” stating that the premature arrival interfered with her duties and undermined the functioning of the company.
The woman appealed to the Social Court of Alicante, hoping to challenge the dismissal. However, the court ruled in favor of the employer, saying that repeatedly ignoring warnings damaged the relationship of trust and loyalty between both sides.
The official ruling notes that despite the company’s objections, the employee insisted on arriving early, which became sufficient grounds for dismissal.