Payout for Qantas flight attendant sacked over a round of drinks

Two beers, two shots of vodka and a shot of gin might sound like the start of a big Friday night. But that round of drinks has instead ended a Qantas flight attendant's 28-year career. Qantas will now pay the veteran steward more than $33,000 after the workplace tribunal ruled it was harsh and unfair to fire him for taking the collection of booze with him at the end of a flight. The Fair Work Commission has heard Qantas randomly searched the crew of a Friday night flight from Perth to Sydney in February 2016, and found the attendant with one bottle of beer, one can of beer, two single serve bottles of vodka and one of gin. The 50-year-old steward, who had worked for Qantas since 1988, initially told the airline the 50-millilitre bottle of gin found in his bag could have been from a hotel mini bar. He later changed his story, admitting to taking the beer, but maintaining he inadvertently left the vodka in his pocket while serving passengers. He gave no explanation for the gin. Qantas sacked the attendant in March over the theft and for his misleading explanation for the gin, the commission heard. Another attendant on the same flight was also caught with alcohol and sacked, while a third was caught but not fired because there was not enough evidence. Fair Work Commission Deputy President Jeff Lawrence ruled last week that Qantas had valid reason to dismiss the attendant. However, Deputy President Lawrence found the dismissal was nonetheless harsh and unfair. Story lists why. <br/>