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Few people dream of becoming fast food workers when they grow up, but that doesn’t mean the job doesn’t come with its own perks.
For many, the prospect of some free food every once in a while is something to look forward to when working at a fast food restaurant.
So, when 55-year-old Usha Ram, a fast food worker who had worked at different Burger King locations for 24 years, accidentally forgot her wallet at home one day, she didn’t think much of taking a bit of food with her.
In fact, according to the Vancouver Sun, Ram had even asked her manager if it would be all right for her to take home a fish sandwich after her shift, which just so happened to be the day after Christmas in 2013.
According to CTV News, after getting permission from her manager, Ram left the restaurant with a fish sandwich, a soda, and some fries—the full meal.
In court, the owner of the franchise, Janif Mohammed, said Ram was given permission to take a sandwich without paying for it.
However, Mohammed insisted that Ram was not supposed to leave with fries or a drink.
Because Burger King has a “zero tolerance” policy for theft—and the manager did believe this incident constituted as stealing—Ram was fired from her position immediately after the manager explained the situation to Mohammed.
According to CTV News, when Ram learned that she was being fired over the so-called “theft,” she immediately offered to pay for the full meal.
Mohammed, on the other hand, took Ram’s willingness to pay as a clear admission of guilty.
At the time of her termination, Ram made just $21,000 and was the sole bread winner of her family.
The case was soon taken to court, where Ram finally got justice for her wrongful termination.
Justice Lisa Warren said that Ram's employers acted in an "unreasonable, unfair and unduly insensitive manner."
"Had he [Mr Mohammed] simply turned his mind to the specific words that Ms Salman said Ms Ram used when she asked to take the food..’‘Or the fact that Ms Ram made no attempt to conceal what she was doing, he would likely have appreciated the significant possibility of a misunderstanding between Ms Ram and Ms Salman," said Justice Warren.
It was said in court that the cost of the food that Ram took home that day was valued at around 50 cents, considering the discount that Burger King workers receive on their meals.
In the end, Justice Warren concluded that Ram was fired over a simple “misunderstanding” and fully deserved compensation after everything she went through at the hands of the company.
Ram has now been awarded $21,000 for lost salary and $25,000 in aggravated damages.
