Longtime Super-Pharm Employee Sues After Dismissal Weeks Before Retirement

A 40-year employee of the Israeli supermarket chain Super-Pharm, Ran Donio, 67, has filed a lawsuit seeking NIS 430,000 (approximately $115,000) after being dismissed just ten months before his planned retirement. Donio, who began working for Super-Pharm in 1985, claims he was fired without justification and in violation of legal and ethical standards, shattering his dream of retiring with dignity after decades of service.

Donio, who most recently served as project manager for the "smart cart" initiative, alleges that he was a valued employee, part of a "retention group," and received substantial annual bonuses, including NIS 56,000 in 2022. In early May 2024, as part of a company-wide efficiency plan involving the dismissal of approximately 100 employees, Donio received an email summoning him to a pre-termination hearing. He was immediately barred from accessing company systems and told not to come to work.

According to the lawsuit, the shock of receiving the dismissal notice caused Donio to require immediate medical attention. The National Insurance Institute subsequently recognized the incident, stemming from the summons to the hearing, as a work accident in January 2025. His hearing was initially postponed due to his health but was eventually conducted via Zoom in August 2025, after which he was formally dismissed.

Donio argues that his dismissal at age 66 and two months, while on sick leave and with accumulated sick days, prevented him from accessing retirement benefits, including discounts at Super-Pharm and its affiliated Be pharmacies, as well as annual gift vouchers. He is seeking compensation for lost income, non-pecuniary damages, the return of a company car, unpaid bonuses, and damages for alleged violations of the Equal Opportunities in Employment Law.

Super-Pharm stated that the lawsuit has not yet been received by the company and will be reviewed and responded to in the appropriate legal forums once it is.