Overview

• Judges in Santiago dismissed the employer’s theft complaint, finding the case involved unauthorised collection rather than a prosecutable crime.
• The office assistant at Consorcio Industrial de Alimentos de Chile received 165 million pesos in May 2022 instead of his usual 500,000 pesos monthly salary.
• The company says the employee initially agreed to return the funds during an HR meeting, but he resigned three days later and did not repay the money.
• Had a theft conviction been secured, the worker faced potential fines and up to 540 days in jail, according to reports.
• The employer has announced plans to seek an annulment of the ruling and pursue further legal avenues to recover the overpayment.