Spanish courts rule against employers in whistleblower and criticism dismissal cases

A court in Tarragona has declared the dismissal of a compliance officer at Consorci d’Aigües de Tarragona (CAT) null and void. The judge ruled the termination was a retaliation for the employee's reports regarding irregularities in water collection, procurement, and internal ethics. The individual had received whistleblower protection from the Oficina Antifrau de Catalunya. The court ordered CAT to reinstate the worker and pay approximately 18,319 euros in pending wages plus 10,000 euros for moral damages.

In a separate ruling, the High Court of Justice of the Valencian Community confirmed the unfair dismissal of a Mercadona manager. The manager was terminated following disciplinary proceedings after allegedly making disparaging remarks about the company to a new colleague. The court determined the comments lacked the necessary gravity to justify dismissal under labor statutes, requiring Mercadona to either reinstate the employee or pay an indemnity of 41,540 euros.