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Barbara Lisowska, a food packer employed by Gousto, was dismissed after being found eating peanuts on the factory floor, an employment tribunal has heard. The incident led to her being fired for gross misconduct in May 2024, amid concerns over potential risks to customers with food allergies.
The 65-year-old denied the accusation, arguing she could not have eaten the peanuts as she wears dentures. Despite her claims, CCTV footage captured at Gousto’s Warrington plant showed Lisowska consuming the nuts. The tribunal revealed that she was seen eating at her workstation on 12 April 2024 and then appearing to hide something up her sleeve before discarding an item into a nearby bin.
Further investigation uncovered that empty tubs of peanuts belonging to Gousto were found in the same bin, providing additional evidence against Lisowska. Her dismissal was attributed to a breach of health and safety regulations aimed at preventing food contamination. Throughout the hearing, it was confirmed that Lisowska does wear dentures and normally avoids eating nuts, and she maintained that she did not steal the two packs in question.
Lisowska, who is of Polish origin, claimed her termination was influenced by racial discrimination and her health issues. She described her dismissal as part of a broader pattern of discriminatory treatment, stating: “My dismissal was not an isolated incident but the final act in a continuous course of discriminatory treatment.” She also mentioned experiencing harassment related to her health condition and difficulties arising from her limited English, necessitating the use of a Polish interpreter during proceedings. Gousto, the company involved, operates with around 1,200 employees across its Warrington and Lincolnshire factories, with headquarters based in London
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