A food factory employee in the UK allegedly triggered the fire alarm by vaping in the restroom, causing the entire factory to shut down and resulting in his dismissal. However, unhappy with how the company handled the situation, the man filed a lawsuit and the court ruled that the company’s disciplinary action was too harsh, ordering the company to compensate him approximately £22,000 (about RM115,100).
According to the Daily Mail, Luke Billings had worked at Nestlé’s coffee factory since 2012. On October 11, 2023, shortly after he entered an accessible restroom, the fire alarm suddenly went off, prompting an emergency evacuation of the entire plant and bringing the production line to a complete halt, resulting in operational losses.
An internal investigation using surveillance footage found that Billings allegedly used an e-cigarette in the restroom, triggering the fire alarm. When questioned, he denied vaping but later admitted that he only vapes “at home and on weekends.” Although he never fully confessed to vaping in the restroom, the company still dismissed him on the grounds of violating safety regulations, causing production losses, and “integrity issues.”
Unhappy with his dismissal, Billings filed an unfair dismissal lawsuit in court. In court, he argued that another colleague had previously placed personal items in the fire equipment area—a clear violation of safety rules—but only received a warning, making Billings feel that the company’s punishment was unfair.
The court ruled that although Billings’ behavior was indeed problematic, the company’s decision to fire him had “exceeded reasonable bounds.” The judge believed that triggering the fire alarm was an isolated incident and that Billings had a good work record. The punishment was deemed excessive, and the company was ordered to pay £22,216.72 (about RM116,202), including lost wages and associated benefits. However, the court also noted that Billings was not completely blameless in causing the alarm, so the amount of compensation was already halved.