Employee earned a reputation among passengers for being too rigid in his job
Is it fine to take too many fines? Italy's Supreme Court seemed to think so after it ordered the reinstatement of a train conductor who was laid off for handing out a record number of fines. The employee, 61, earned a reputation among passengers for being too rigid in his job, which led to a record of 5,000 fines - a claim that the conductor admitted to doing, reported The Guardian.
His fines span from various infractions committed by passengers, including boarding a train without a pass, travelling on incorrect routes, or failing to date-stamp their tickets, which cost customers about €10,000.
Passengers complained to the conductor's employer regarding his behaviour, who later terminated him in 2017 after a barrage of complaints were made against him.
The conductor in an interview later with Corriere della Sera admitted his act of issuing 5,000 fines, but he denied accusations that he was ruthless.
He also shot down name-calling that labelled him as a "bounty hunter," "authoritarian," or a "bully." He added that his work only required him to ensure that passengers should travel with a valid ticket.
"The passengers love me," he said in the interview as quoted by The Guardian.
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His lawyer in the case defended him in saying that it was the first time he heard an employee was fired for working too hard.
"If you think about it, this story is paradoxical. We're talking about a train conductor, who as a result of discovering passengers without a ticket, earned the company more than €200,000," said his lawyer as a statement quoted by The Guardian.
The conductor filed an appeal against his employer's decision that later reached Italy's highest court, which took his side and ordered his reintegration within the company.
According to the court, the conductor was "inflexible" and worked with "uncommon zeal" in his duty, adding that the employee was only doing his job.
