Employee fired in Italy after allegedly drinking water costing less than 1 euro. The case goes to court.

An employee of a supermarket in Taranto, Italy, was fired after 10 years of work, being accused of consuming a bottle of water worth less than 1 euro without paying for it. The incident occurred on March 12, 2026, and the man claims that he paid for the product, part of a larger shopping cart, for which he paid 11 euros with a card.

The employer did not believe his explanations and decided to fire him. The man announced that he would sue the company, claiming that the bottle of water was already paid for. Alongside this incident, the company also cited other offenses, including cash handling without justification and unauthorized money exchanges. The employee asserts that he acted correctly in all situations. The case will be reviewed by the labor court.