A woman in Spain has lost her job after constantly arriving at work far too early, despite months of warnings from her employer to stop doing so.
The 22-year-old employee worked at a company in Alicante and had a habit of showing up between 6:45am and 7am — around 40 to 45 minutes before her scheduled 7:30am shift. While most bosses might appreciate eagerness, her workplace specifically told her she wasn’t allowed to start or clock in early.
Even after repeated verbal and written warnings dating back to 2023, she continued arriving long before the facility was even operational, meaning she couldn’t perform her duties and had nothing to do.
The company eventually fired her for serious misconduct, arguing that the problem wasn’t punctuality — it was disobedience.
According to the Social Court of Alicante, she ignored every instruction given to her and continued turning up early at least 19 more times after being warned.
On some days, she even attempted to log in through the company app before she had physically reached the workplace.
Her employer also cited an additional trust issue: she had sold a used company car battery without permission, which the court said added to a pattern of disloyalty.
The woman appealed the decision, saying her dismissal was unfair.
But the court disagreed, ruling that her behaviour amounted to a “serious fault” under Spanish labour law — the same as repeatedly arriving late.
Judges highlighted three main points:
- She continually ignored clear instructions from her manager.
- Her schedule violations disrupted expectations of loyalty and workplace discipline.
- She recorded some clock-out times after she had already left the building, marking herself as present when she wasn’t.
Because of this, the court confirmed the firing was lawful, and she will receive no compensation.
She may still appeal to the Supreme Court of Valencia.
The unusual case quickly sparked debate, with many people surprised that turning up early could get someone fired.
However, employment experts noted that companies are allowed to enforce strict time and access rules, especially if employees have been clearly told what is and isn’t allowed.
