Court Temporarily Bars Carrefour From Firing Cancer-Stricken Employee

An Israeli labor court has issued a temporary injunction preventing the retail chain Carrefour from firing a 63-year-old employee with cancer. Judge Tomer Silora of the Regional Labor Court in Tel Aviv ruled that Carrefour failed to prove the dismissal was part of a necessary efficiency drive and, even if it were, did not demonstrate the required sensitivity given the employee's circumstances.

The employee, Hristo Dashev, has worked for various companies that owned the supermarket chain since 1995. Due to his health condition, he is limited to six working hours per day. In March 2025, he was moved from managing the produce department at a Tel Aviv branch to a regular position in another branch due to his limitations.

In July, Dashev was called for a pre-dismissal hearing, citing organizational efficiency as the reason, without any mention of poor performance. He was subsequently fired in August. Carrefour claimed the dismissal was part of a broader efficiency measure that led to 70 employees being laid off in July, unrelated to Dashev's age or medical condition.

However, Judge Silora rejected this argument, stating Carrefour did not convince the court that the layoffs were part of a general efficiency plan or "reduction in force." He further noted that even if proven, the company would still have had to demonstrate the necessary checks for sensitive dismissals. The judge expressed bewilderment that Carrefour provided no evidence of these claimed efficiency measures, neither to the employee during the hearing nor to the court. The judge pointed out that Carrefour could have easily provided payroll reports, tax filings, or an accountant's confirmation to support its claims, but failed to do so.

Silora added that Carrefour did not provide data on the number of produce workers in the chain or the specific branch, nor did it present objective needs of the branch or its produce department. He suggested Carrefour should have explored transferring Dashev to a larger branch instead of firing him. The judge emphasized that Carrefour violated its legal duty to make reasonable accommodations for Dashev's continued employment, and firing an employee solely because they are limited to six working hours a day constitutes forbidden discrimination. The court ordered Dashev to remain employed by Carrefour in a suitable role pending a final decision on his lawsuit, withholding costs to avoid damaging the relationship between the parties.