Citibank was taken to an employment tribunal for unfair dismissal after sacking an employee for gross misconduct.

The claimant was a financial analyst specialising in financial crime. He’d submitted expenses for a business trip claiming he had eaten two sandwiches, two pasta dishes and drank two coffees.

When queried whether he had consumed this all to himself, he said the coffees were very small and he’d skipped breakfast. He also expressed a level of shock at having to justify his eating habits when his expenses were all within the company’s daily expenses allowance.

The banker later admitted he’d shared meals with his partner and the bank dismissed him for gross misconduct. The banker brought a tribunal claim which found in favour of Citibank because of the claimant’s conduct whilst in a position of trust at a global financial institution and not for the sums of money involved.

It’s not the amount of loss sustained by the dishonesty, but the act of dishonesty which makes proven dishonesty, a ground for a fair dismissal.