A man was deemed to have been unfairly dismissed by his bosses after being captured on camera, apparently dozing while on the job.
Francesco Rucci lost his position at Ecologistic - an Italian company based in the town of Ginosa - responsible for converting plastic into produce containers, in May 2023.
His employer claimed photographs showing him with closed eyes and a lowered head constituted sleeping on duty, presenting "a safety risk".
The southern Italian court of appeal in Lecce declared the termination "unfair" and an "illegitimate act", concluding there was "no significant breach" warranting such severe disciplinary action.
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Judges have mandated Mr Rucci's reinstatement along with payment of all outstanding wages, including severance.
Mr Rucci had joined the company in 2016 and served as a union representative.
Before his dismissal, he had clashed with management over workplace practices.
Following these disagreements, he was moved to a different workspace where he found himself with extended periods of inactivity.
The company presented this reassignment as a promotion, yet it came with neither additional pay nor fresh responsibilities.
Francesco Rucci was fired for falling asleep at work, which has now been deemed an unfair dismissal
|FRANCESCO RUCCI
Mr Rucci characterised his new position as "an imposed isolation… where time never passed".
He was left in what he described as a state of "total inactivity and professional humiliation", eventually being assigned only "marginal and demeaning tasks".
The Italian’s working conditions in the reassigned role were Spartan to say the least.
From his desk, he could see "only a blank wall, a shelf with boxes, a bin, and another room through glass windows", he explained.
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The southern Italian court of appeal in Lecce declared the termination 'unfair' and an 'illegitimate act'
|Mr Rucci spent 12-hour shifts in this environment with "no internet connection even to pass the time".
"I remember perfectly the day I felt dizzy, closed my eyes for about 10 minutes, and dozed off. They fired me," he said.
The nearly three-year legal fight exacted a heavy emotional price. Mr Rucci said he experienced "an emotional breakdown" and "stopped sleeping".
"At night, I had to take pills without which I couldn't sleep… I looked at my children and felt so guilty," he said.
The family's finances suffered considerably as they became reliant on a single income, per The Telegraph.
Mr Rucci said they had to "roll up (their) sleeves" to manage, with his wife eventually securing part-time employment to help make ends meet.
He was critical of the lack of union backing during his ordeal, condemning "the total absence of a union that failed to defend either its own member or its delegate".
Support for colleagues was also not forthcoming, which Mr Rucci said was because they "feared retaliation from the company".
Even still, the worker said he was "surprised not to receive even a sign of sympathy from many of them".
Despite his apprehension about returning, Mr Rucci remains resolute. "I don't know how I'll feel about returning. It will certainly have a strong impact," he acknowledged.
He pledged to "return to work with (his) head held high" and "continue to defend workers' rights fearlessly".
"Today, more than ever, resistance is needed. And it's needed by everyone," he added.
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