Spanish Supreme Court rules that you can watch porn at work

Typically Spanish ^ | Mon, 28 Aug 2006, 09:06 | H.B.

[Perdogg]

The Supreme Court in Spain has ruled in favour of a worker who was demanding to be given his job back or to be paid compensation by a company who sacked him for downloading personal emails, visiting chat rooms and even watching pornographic videos on the Internet during working hours.

The sentence noted that in Spanish law there is no specific prohibition of using the Internet for private ends.

The company who sacked the worker T&D Innovación y Mantenimiento S.A. also claimed that the worker spent 50 minutes a day ‘eating sunflower seeds’. They installed spyware on his computer to see what he was using it for.

The Supreme Court thus overturns earlier rulings from two courts in the Basque Country which found in favour of the company.

Now the worker has to be re-employed or paid 4,200 € in compensation plus wages from his sacking to the date of the new ruling at a rate of 43 € a day.

[frankjr]

I'm moving to Spain.

[martin_fierro]

Spain beckons.

[Psycho_Bunny]

Idiots.

[TomGuy]

Since our own SC really likes foreign law, we can see this in the work place soon (?).

[NonValueAdded]

Wow, this will be a blow to the high productivity standards for which Spain is famous.

_{/do I really need a tag?}

[Normal4me]

>>>The sentence noted that in Spanish law there is no specific prohibition of using the Internet for private ends<<<

And buisnesses cannot enforce work rules or policies apparently.

[BenLurkin]

More "European values"

[digger48]

I wonder how they would rule if he were FReeping?

[rlmorel]

"...Wow, this will be a blow to the high productivity standards for which Spain is famous...."

Now, THAT was GOOD!

[Axhandle]

"Now the worker has to be re-employed or paid 4,200 € in compensation plus wages from his sacking to the date of the new ruling at a rate of 43 € a day."

How's that for a money shot?

[Dog Gone]

So, european companies must pay workers to goof off?

[NonValueAdded]

All I can think of is that old Three Stooges episode when the boys were in Spain and Curly is asking someone if he did "see Esther"

[dragonblustar]

I can't see this in America because the feminist have gain control with sexual harassment laws in the work place. If porn was allowed, sexual harassment cases could be tossed out because of freedom of speech issues.

[Cicero]

So, this guy spends a couple of hours a day watching porn and eating seeds instead of doing his work, and the company can't fire him because Porn is Sacred to the Left?

The Communists in Spain during the 30s were the worst in Europe, outside of the Soviet Union. It looks like their old spirit lives on.

[Paleo Conservative]

The sentence noted that in Spanish law there is no specific prohibition of using the Internet for private ends.

In the US buisnesses can make work place rules that no legislature has ever thought of making into law.

[VOA]

Old Europe headed down hill...bump!

[muryan]

They can't fire a person because they are watching porn, however they can fire them for a lack of productivity. I think is more aimed towards people who view porn while on break or otherwise not busy.

[csvset]

Don't that beat all. I'm thinking that some other Euro country arrived at the same conclusion a few years back. I want to say it was one of the Scandanavian countries, perhaps Norway?

[BW2221]

I think Spain is going to hell even faster than the rest of Europe.