ALDI Worker’s Bid to Reclaim Job Fails After Supermarket Brawl
An ALDI employee who physically intervened in a volatile customer dispute has been unsuccessful in his bid to be reinstated, with a workplace tribunal ruling he defied clear instructions to disengage. The worker, Tamati Hohaia, was dismissed in October last year for serious misconduct following a dramatic altercation in the supermarket the previous month, an incident captured on CCTV.
The dramatic events unfolded as Mr Hohaia attempted to de-escalate a heated confrontation between two customers. In a social media video that garnered significant attention, Mr Hohaia, known online as “Maori Einstein” with a following of nearly 100,000, explained his perspective on the incident. He stated that while he was serving a female customer, the situation escalated.
“I was talking to her… she was very short with me. I thought she was being a little rude… but sometimes people are just having a bad day so I just carried on,” he recounted.
According to Mr Hohaia’s account, after the woman left the checkout, he overheard her telling someone to leave her alone. Turning, he observed a man with his hand on her shopping bag.
“I immediately get up from behind my register… and said, excuse me sir, you need to stop,” Mr Hohaia stated. He reported the man’s response was, “don’t hit me mate”. Mr Hohaia claims he replied, “I’m not going to hit you… you’re being an unreasonable customer, you need to leave.”
Mr Hohaia detailed that the man initially walked away but then returned and attempted to headbutt him, initiating a physical struggle. “He starts to tackle me… I’m underneath him on the ground applying a technique on him just to chill him out a bit.”
Despite his colleagues urging him to stop, Mr Hohaia maintained he felt it was unsafe to break away due to the man’s apparent strength and his prior threatening behaviour towards the woman. He asserted that he propelled the man towards the exit, with his primary concern at that moment being to remove the customer from the premises and secure the store.
He admitted to subsequently following the man outside and continuing to push him away before returning to lock the store. Mr Hohaia also claimed he began recording the man, stating it was for “evidence.”
“The woman was distressed… I truly thought it was the right thing to do,” he expressed. He emphasised his personal convictions: “I will not let any man overpower a woman in my presence.”
Mr Hohaia elaborated on his motivations, stating, “I’m a father with five daughters and wife, I grew up with my mother and sister. I will not let any man overpower a woman in my presence. What would youse do if you were in that position.”
He argued that his actions were in self-defence and in defence of another individual, insisting that his dismissal was disproportionate and unjust. He also highlighted his “clean employment record for almost four years” and contended that ALDI had failed to consider less severe disciplinary measures. Furthermore, he informed the Commission of the financial hardship he had experienced since losing his job.
However, ALDI presented a strong counter-argument, asserting that staff are explicitly instructed to disengage from volatile situations rather than intervene, as per their stringent Customer Service Guideline. The company informed the tribunal that employees are required to immediately remove themselves from such incidents and notify a manager trained to handle them, a directive that Mr Hohaia was found to have disregarded.
The company’s policy explicitly warns employees: “DO NOT stand in their way, argue with them, take photos, or put yourself in danger.”
The Commission heard evidence that Mr Hohaia had received repeated training on these protocols, with updated guidance provided as recently as June 2025. During cross-examination, Mr Hohaia acknowledged that he regularly saw the relevant poster, as it was displayed on the back of the door leading from the staff room to the shop floor.
Commissioner Jessica Rogers concluded that, even if certain aspects of Mr Hohaia’s claims of self-defence were considered, CCTV footage clearly indicated instances where he actively chose to continue the physical confrontation rather than disengage.
“The failure to comply with ALDI’s policies and procedures led to the situation escalating to a point where Mr Hohaia became the aggressor,” Commissioner Rogers stated in her published decision. She determined that there was a valid reason for the dismissal, noting that Mr Hohaia was aware of the retailer’s strict rules but deliberately ignored them, prolonging the physical altercation.
Commissioner Rogers also found that his conduct posed a significant safety risk to himself, the other individual involved, and his colleagues, ultimately classifying his actions as serious misconduct.
