WOOLWORTHS has sacked a "loyal" Safeway manager who spent 18 years working for the supermarket chain after he was dobbed in for having two beers over lunch.

Tony Selak, 36, who managed Safeway's Southland store in Melbourne's southeast, was dismissed for breaching the company's zero tolerance policy to alcohol consumption during working hours, including meal breaks.

The Australian Industrial Relations Commission heard Mr Selak took a subordinate department manager to lunch on May 2 after the duo had completed some errands.

Mr Selak knew the manager, referred to in proceedings as Mr T, was considering quitting and decided to shout him lunch at the Sandbelt Hotel in suburban Moorabbin.

Mr Selak, 194cm and weighing 140kg, had a steak and Mr T ate a burger and they each drank two pots of beer over the course of the lunch that lasted 30 to 40 minutes. A pot is 285ml.

The duo returned to work and performed their normal duties.

But the two men had been seen by a Woolworths employee who reported them to management. Mr Selak was suspended that afternoon and sacked the next day. Mr T was also sacked.

Mr Selak subsequently pursued an unfair dismissal action but the commission ruled in Safeway's favour on October 26.

The commission found Mr Selak had been a hard-working and loyal employee whose "intention in all of this was the commendable one of motivating and mentoring Mr T", but it ruled the alcohol ban was a condition of Mr Selak's contract.

Mr Selak told The Australian, through his lawyer, that he was surprised and disappointed by the ruling and he intended to appeal.

His barrister, Rohan Millar, said while Mr Selak respected the commission's decision, "my client maintains that the punishment doesn't fit the crime". "Our case was that the employer has overreacted in a way which borders on being un-Australian in failing to give Mr Selak a fair go."

Mr Selak started his career at Safeway in 1988, working part-time at night as a "trolley boy" while still at school. He worked his way up, before taking leave in 2002 to care for his fiancee who had been diagnosed with leukemia. He returned to Safeway after her death.

At the time he was sacked, Mr Selak was earning $95,850 a year. A spokeswoman for Woolworths said the company had a zero tolerance alcohol policy that applied to all staff whether they worked with heavy machinery or in administration.

But Mr Selak gave evidence that another Safeway store manager had not been sacked after she got drunk and drove her company car, causing $100,000 damage. However, the manager had not been drinking at work and had been demoted.

This leads us into this weeks poll

Have you ever had a few beers at work? Is it ok to have a few beers over your lunch break?

VOTE and have your say!

Too bloody right!

Ah That explains it. Aren't you in the arts and entertainment industry?

Yep, but I also spent 6 years in Europe. I'm used to having a drink with my meals sometimes.