Thirsty work | Firm hired private detective to catch employee drinking on the job

A company hired a private eye to tail a worker who was enjoying several alcoholic drinks a day while on the job.

The man, an electrician working for a company in Spain, was followed on several occasions by the detective, and was spotted buying and drinking alcohol multiple times a day. On one occasion he was even seen walking into a bar before 9am.

But a court has now ruled that the firm was wrong to dismiss the man because it couldn’t be proven that his drinking impaired his job performance. The court even said the soaring summer temperatures could also have been a valid reason for him to cool off with a refreshing beer (or several) during the work day.

Bosses must now give him his job back or pay him more than €47,000 (£42k) in compensation.