A PROBLEM with alcohol theft threatened to push a Michelin star restaurant business “down the tubes”, the Employment Appeals Tribunal heard yesterday.
Martin Corbett, the manager of Chapter One, Parnell Square, Dublin, told the tribunal that the restaurant was forced to seek advice from a stocktaking company, hotel managers and the Garda over the issue of alcohol going missing from the premises.
Mr Corbett was appearing at a hearing into the dismissal of Barbara Kazmierczau, who worked as a cleaner at Chapter One from August 2007 until July 2009, earning €400 a week.
Ms Kazmierczau (49), St Jarlath’s Road, Cabra, Dublin, claims she was unfairly dismissed and is seeking compensation. Her representative Anthony Traynor said an unproven allegation that she stole a bottle of vodka from Chapter One ultimately resulted in her dismissal.
Mr Corbett told the tribunal that he and Ms Kazmierczau had a good relationship while she worked at the restaurant. He said they discussed the alcohol going missing as he feared “our business was going down the tubes” as a result.
Mr Corbett told the tribunal that he arrived at Chapter One on March 11th, 2009, to open up and noticed Ms Kazmierczau in the bar area with a handbag. He later visited the restaurant’s laundry room. He saw a bag on the floor that was the same as the one he had seen Ms Kazmierczau holding earlier.
Mr Corbett said the bag was slightly open, he put his foot on it and saw a bottle of Absolut Vodka. After that, Mr Corbett said he spoke to Chapter One chef and proprietor Ross Lewis. They asked Ms Kazmierczau if they could search her bag as she was leaving the restaurant, to which she consented.
The tribunal heard that Mr Lewis, Mr Corbett, Ms Kazmierczau and waiter Pawel Wilk, who acted as a Polish translator for Ms Kazmierczau, went into an office. The bag was searched and no bottle of vodka was found.
Mr Traynor said his client was told she was suspended until the matter was clarified. Mr Corbett denied that he suspended her.
The tribunal heard that Ms Kazmierczau was not in work for a number of days but returned following a meeting with Mr Lewis.
Mr Wilk said that the relationship between Ms Kazmierczau and Mr Corbett changed when she returned and that it appeared Mr Corbett was getting on her back.
Mr Lewis said business took a bad turn in the following months with turnover falling and the wage bill needed to be reduced. Two chefs had left and were not replaced and it was decided in July that Ms Kazmierczau should be let go as her duties could be shared among other staff.
Mr Traynor alleged that Ms Kazmierczau was made redundant because of the earlier allegations she had stolen a bottle of vodka.
Tribunal chair Margaret Levey said a decision would be made shortly.
