Waitress forgets to pool R150 tip and gets fired!
Do you think that was a fair way to handle the situation?
There is almost always a code of conduct that is required of you when working in a team.
And for waiters, there are some things that you just never do, because it goes against the line of duty.
For this waitress, going against her team's conduct cost her big time. It became a whole debacle when she decided that she was going to the CCMA to fight her dismissal.
"The woman was employed at Johannesburg-based Chef’s Warehouse at Maison Estate restaurant, which had a policy that all waiters had to declare their tips so that they could be shared among the staff at the end of the evening." (MSN)
The policy was created as a means of sharing the tips received by front-of-house staff with the back-of-house staff, as they also contribute towards the diner's experience.
The waitress in question, Ms Taguzu, was said to have been hesitant in agreeing with the policy and refused to sign it, but agreed to it verbally.
The problem came into play when she went against the policy and did not declare the tips that were given to her.
"At least three customers had confirmed that they had tipped her after their meals. The owner held the view that she had acted dishonestly, and thus broke a trust relationship with the restaurant. He further contended that she effectively stole from her fellow employees as the policy was intended to benefit all of them." (MSN)
The commissioner at CCMA declared that the restaurant owner was right to have laid her off as she breached the policy. If in fact she had issues with the policy in the first place, she should have brought it to the CCMA's notice.
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“The policy in question, after all the employees were consulted, was meant to benefit all of them, including the applicant,” the judge said. “Given the applicant’s unreasonable resistance to the policy, her conduct, in my view, was not only self-serving, but equally bordered on greed.” (MSN)
This was a classic example of how hiding the truth can have colossal consequences. And in this case, it really came back and bit the waitress hard.
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