Barbara Lisowska loses unfair dismissal claim over stolen peanuts

6 articles · Updated · BBC.com · May 10

A Manchester tribunal heard CCTV showed the 65-year-old Gousto packer eating peanuts at its Warrington plant in April 2024 and hiding something up her sleeve.
She was dismissed for gross misconduct in May 2024 after Gousto said her actions risked food contamination and endangered customers with allergies; empty company peanut tubs were later found in a bin.
Lisowska denied stealing the nuts, said she could not eat them because she wears dentures, and alleged race discrimination, poor English and health-related harassment, but the judge rejected her claim.

With UK law reforms coming, could a similar peanut incident soon trigger uncapped financial penalties for employers?

Does a zero-tolerance food safety policy prevent contamination or just mask deeper problems within a factory's culture?