I don't think EJ find it the least bit difficult to sack people, especially cabin crew. Whilst pilot management in general is pretty good cc management is awful, utterly awful. Mainly an over-promoted cabal of ex cc themselves there is a simply shocking lack of tolerance and brutality in their methods and the cc are in the main terrified of "disciplinaries" that can be had for the most trivial of matters. Their sickness policy is the worst; exceed two (?) periods of sickness in a year, no matter how long, and you're on a disciplinary (that they deny is a disciplinary, but it is indistinguishable from one apart from the mealymouthed name; wellbeing meeting). More than one of those and you're teetering on the brink. It matters not how long you're off for, one day or one month, each counts as an event and it matters not how sick you are when the third one comes along. Thus cc turn up for work when they should be in bed for fear of the sack. They have been known to break down in tears and beg the Captain not to offload them despite being completely unable to work. How illegal is that, yet their union (Unite) is so weak that nothing has ever been done about it.
Pilots face no such difficulties with sick days.
Don't wonder, then, that pinching sandwiches is frowned upon. Everyone knows the penalty, and as alluded to above any previous form and your position is shaky to say the least.