McDonalds wrong to sack worker over cheese

A branch of the McDonalds hamburger chain in the Friesian town of Lemmer was wrong to sack a worker for giving a colleague on a break an extra piece of cheese on her hamburger, a court ruled on Tuesday.

McDonalds' rules state staff cannot give away products to staff, family and friends. And by giving the extra slice of cheese, the hamburger turned into a more expensive cheeseburger, Nos tv reported.

The judge said McDonalds had acted too severely in sacking the woman. 'The cost of a slice of cheese is not comparable to a severe step such as redundancy,' Nos quoted the judge as saying.

In addition, the branch manager had not asked the woman to explain her actions, nor had it taken any steps against the colleague who asked for the burger. It is unclear from the reports if the hamburger was actually paid for.

The sacked worker will not be reinstated but was awarded €4,500 in compensation - equivalent to five month's wages plus holiday pay and interest, Nos said.