Little Chef worker Lynn Smith sacked for taking home a pie
A FORMER Little Chef employee has lost a compensation claim for unfair dismissal – after she took an apple pie home without permission.
Lynn Smith had been employed as a supervisor at the chain's restaurant in Newcastle Road, Talke, below, for 12 years with a good record.
-
The Little Chef in Talke
But she lost her job after she broke the firm's rules by taking the pie, Birmingham Employment Tribunal was told.
Mrs Smith, of St Martin's Road, Talke Pits, believed she had been harshly treated and made a compensation claim against her employer.
Would you like a professional to review your CV and give you some constructive feedback?
contact BlueSky CVs for an honest review
Terms: 1 per person
Contact: 01538 710408
Valid until: Friday, May 24 2013
Little Chef did not attend the hearing and was not represented, but the tribunal judge Miss Maureen Connolly said the company had been in communication.
Miss Connolly added that Little Chef had stated that food could be eaten on the premises but that there were strict rules about staff taking it home.
Miss Connolly said: "Mrs Smith knew it was against the company's rules about misappropriating food.
"Mrs Smith admitted taking the apple pie. She should not have taken the apple pie away."
Little Chef currently charges £3.99 for a serving of its Kentish Bramley apple pie which is dished up with custard or vanilla ice cream.
Apart from taking home the apple pie without permission, Mrs Smith was also involved in a dispute about the sale of a burger.
The tribunal heard how she sold a burger to a customer but did not take any payment.
Mrs Smith said she had been too busy cashing up at the time.
She made two appeals against the dismissal decision but still lost her job around October last year.
She told the tribunal: "There was no CCTV at the time and the burger incident occurred while I was busy."
Miss Connolly said it gave her no pleasure to announce that the tribunal had decided Mrs Smith had lost her compensation claim for unfair dismissal.
"The respondents acted within the bounds of reasonable responses in dismissing the claimant," Miss Connolly added.
The first Little Chef opened in Reading in 1958 and it currently has 111 outlets, including branches in Talke and Crewe.
It announced in January it was to close 67 loss-making restaurants and make between 500 and 600 job cuts.
The group went into administration in 2007, when most of its assets were bought by current owner, RCapital.
Comments
by DarKwTEr
Sunday, June 17 2012, 9:37PM
“lol”
by nelsonl
Saturday, June 16 2012, 1:42PM
“@by E_D_Wivens
stunner post mate, i laughed out loud... seriously though mate, just the odd mug off the kiln if it had a nice decoration.
Know people at work who were robbimg left right and centre, till they starting doing randsom searches when clocking off.
i know some of the high management were taking expensive ware, but as said i took the odd beaker if i broke mine at home, never went any further than that. :)”
by stokie9009
Friday, June 15 2012, 9:10AM
“When a business is in financial difficulty, they will find any excuse no matter how small to dismiss staff. It saves paying out redundancy money and saves the company money. It would be interesting to see if Lynn had the same fate if Little Chef was one of the most profitable businesses in the UK?”
by E_D_Wivens
Friday, June 15 2012, 6:20AM
“"the odd beaker fell into my havasack"
...and the cups and saucers and plates and side-plates and teapot and soup tureen too, hmmm? It was an entire dinner service, and not just the once; flippin 'eck at Nile Street it was rife, everyone was in on it, even the security blokes.”
by nelsonl
Friday, June 15 2012, 5:29AM
“I can see both sides of the story here.
the lady in question seems by all accounts a kind caring and friendly person, so that would make it seem harsh, and petty.
but
she knew the company rules, you do not help yourself to food, if all the staff did the same (no doubt one or two do now and again)or if anyone on this site walked in and took out a apple pie we would be charged with shop lifting and end up in court.
bacisally she should of used her common sense and asked if she could buy one, she may of got a discount , i understand the temptation, but she knew at the time she would lose her job if got caught, she took that chance and got caught.
I do feel for her and hope she can put this all behind her, and hopefully this will be a lesson for all those who when the temptation get a bit strong , not to do it.
Its not a case of "let those without sin cast the first stone" when i first on a pot bank the odd beaker fell into my havasack lol, but that was then, and i knew if i got caught i would of faced the same consequences.”
by paul_bstoke
Thursday, June 14 2012, 10:01PM
“Lynne was always very friendly, and would do anything for you. I have eaten in the restaurant on several occasions, Im shocked that they didnt give her a formal warning.”
by E_D_Wivens
Thursday, June 14 2012, 9:18PM
“It all sounds a bit flakey to me.”
by Redpitlad
Thursday, June 14 2012, 9:00PM
“Well they do make exceedingly good cakes don't they......
I do feel sorry for her..... .....but if she's taken things...against the company policy... then she can't really crumble............. sorry meant grumble”
by mang
Thursday, June 14 2012, 8:50PM
“You could eat the pie on the premises and then go home! In your stomach or in your pocket the fate is the same for the pie. Lucky she wasn't sent to Australia for such a crime.
Tim
Westlands”
by Mr_Jingles
Thursday, June 14 2012, 7:46PM
“Fingers in pies springs to mind. If it is the companies policy that you do not take stuff home then you do not do it. Otherwise it is theft.”