Woman Fired for Pastry Theft Wins 301,000 Rubles in Court

A transport company in Tyumen fired a canteen manager after suspecting her of stealing four pastries and a larger shortage. She challenged the dismissal in court and was awarded 301,000 rubles (about $3,300 at current rates).

Feb 5, 2026

Missing pastries were cited as a reason for the employer«s loss of trust in the employee.
Source:
Artem Ustyuzhanin / E1.RU

An auto transport enterprise suspected a canteen employee of stealing four pastries and being responsible for a significant shortage. Consequently, the woman was dismissed due to a loss of trust. Disagreeing with her employer«s decision, she went to court and demanded several hundred thousand rubles. Here are the details of the dispute.

Four Pastries and a Shortage

Daria M. worked as a canteen manager at one of the auto transport enterprises in the Tyumen region. In April 2025, during an audit at the facility under her control, a shortage of products worth over 83,000 rubles (about $922 at current rates) was discovered, along with the fact that four pastries had been stolen.

The employer saw Daria as being at fault, believing she had failed to ensure proper control and security of the property. After internal proceedings, the woman was dismissed under the clause concerning loss of trust (clause 7, part 1, article 81 of the Russian Labor Code). According to this wording, the employee is deprived of all payments except the final settlement. As a result, Daria was left without a job and did not receive her bonus. Outraged, she turned to the court.

The Sides« Positions in Court

The Employee«s Version

In court, Daria stated that her job duties did not include personally overseeing every action of the canteen staff, and the reasons for the shortage could have been systemic accounting problems, poor-quality raw materials, and staff meals. Furthermore, the amount of the theft was negligible and did not warrant dismissal.

Therefore, she demanded that the dismissal order be declared illegal, the wording be changed to «dismissal at one»s own request,« and that the company be ordered to pay her wages for forced absence, compensation for moral damages, and legal costs—totaling over 300,000 rubles (about $3,300 at current rates).

The Company«s Position

Representatives of JSC Tobolskoye PATP stated that the disciplinary penalty was absolutely lawful because Daria, as a financially responsible person, had improperly performed her duties, leading to losses. Dismissal due to loss of trust is the employer«s legal right when an employee»s guilt is proven.

The Court«s Decision

Having considered the case, the Tobolsk City Court sided with the employee, granting her claim almost in full. The company then filed an appeal.

The appeal panel of the Tyumen Regional Court concluded that the first court was correct on the main point. The company failed to prove Daria«s guilt in causing the large shortage. The fact that she had allowed a petty theft did not relieve the employer of the obligation to prove her direct guilt in the 83,000-ruble (about $922) damage.

«The evidence presented by the defendant does not allow for an unequivocal conclusion about the plaintiff»s guilt in causing material damage. <…> Qualifying the plaintiff«s actions as petty theft <…> is insignificant, and in the absence of other disciplinary penalties, the applied measure of dismissal is extreme,» the court ruling stated.

However, regarding the calculation of compensation for forced absence, the court of first instance made an error.

«The calculation of average earnings for the period of forced absence <…> is subject to change. The correctly calculated amount is 241,114 rubles 70 kopecks (about $2,700 at current rates),» the ruling stated.

In total, following the appeal, the auto transport enterprise was ordered to pay Daria M. 301,000 rubles:

Wages for forced absence: 241,000 rubles (of which 164,000 she has already received).
Compensation for moral damages: 20,000 rubles (about $222 at current rates).
Legal representative expenses: 40,000 rubles (about $444 at current rates).

If you enjoy unusual court disputes and rulings, check out our other materials in the section «Who»s Right?«.

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