Court upholds firing of worker who sold office furniture on Karrot during company move

A court has ruled that a company was justified in firing a worker who sold office furniture on a secondhand trading platform without authorization during an office relocation.

The 12th Civil Division of the Jeonju District Court dismissed a lawsuit filed by the worker, identified only as A, who had sought to have the disciplinary dismissal declared invalid, Yonhap reported Friday.

According to the ruling, A sold shelves, chairs, lockers, sofas and tables on the secondhand trading platform Karrot between May 26 and May 28 last year during the company's office move, pocketing 1.025 million won ($769).

A also removed three door locks, 12 fire extinguishers and six window panes from the office and took them home.

When the company learned of this, it convened a personnel committee, voted to dismiss A and formally notified the worker of the termination.

A filed suit to have the dismissal declared invalid, claiming to have overseen the office relocation and to have sold the items with the branch manager's approval. A also called for about 83 million won in unpaid wages lost as a result of the firing.

The court sided with the company.

The court noted that the company's personnel regulations list embezzlement, breach of trust, theft and acceptance of money or valuables in connection with work as grounds for disciplinary action. It found that A's disposal of company assets without managerial approval and receipt of payment constituted embezzlement, while the removal of window panes and door locks amounted to theft.

The court also found that the company had never instructed A to handle the office relocation and that no consultation had taken place regarding the disposal of the assets. "All grounds for dismissal in this case are recognized, and the disciplinary measure is also justified — the plaintiff's claim has no merit," the court said.