A Tesco worker dismissed after taking baked goods before the store’s daily free-items cut-off has lost his unfair dismissal claim against Tesco Ireland.

According to BreakingNews.ie, Mohammed Kamruzzaman was dismissed from Tesco Extra in Naas, Co Kildare, along with two other employees, after Tesco’s loss prevention team discovered that staff had been circumventing the 9pm cut-off for certain baked goods and produce to become free.

Kamruzzaman had worked for Tesco Ireland from February 2024 until his dismissal on July 15th 2025.

On May 7th, he finished his shift at around 8.20pm and picked up several items. When he went to pay, the cashier placed the transaction into a “stored transaction”, intending to finalise it after 9pm. This allowed Kamruzzaman to leave for his bus while effectively receiving the items for free before the permitted time.

At a WRC hearing, Kamruzzaman admitted what he had done and apologised. He argued that the items were of low value, would otherwise have been thrown away, and that taking such items before 9pm was a more widespread practice among staff.

He said dismissal was disproportionate and that a warning would have been more appropriate.

However, Tesco manager Cian O’Sullivan told the hearing that, despite Kamruzzaman’s apology, the company could not offer a second chance for theft.

WRC Adjudicator David James Murphy rejected the unfair dismissal claim, finding that Tesco’s decision fell within the band of reasonableness.

Mr Murphy said Tesco was entitled to regard the incident as theft because Kamruzzaman had taken goods without paying for them. He also noted that the other two employees involved were dismissed.

The adjudicator said Tesco had demonstrated a “strict and consistent approach” to theft, with Mr O’Sullivan giving convincing evidence that theft had consistently resulted in dismissal in his experience.

Kamruzzaman therefore failed in his unfair dismissal action against Tesco Ireland.