Hi! I was told I should post here! I tried a few days ago but, it kept getting automatically removed so, let’s try this again. This is a throwaway for obvious reasons.
I [19f] was a server at IHOP. A few days ago, one of our newer servers accidentally rang in a kids jr cheeseburger while trying to ring in a different kids meal. As the food was coming up, she caught her mistake & told the cooks, went back to fix her ticket, etc. They pushed the kid's meal off to the side & everyone continued on about their day.
About an hour later, I still see the kid's meal sitting in what we call 'the window'. I asked my fellow servers & the cooks if it was “dead” (meaning: cold, throw away, can’t serve) They told me yes, so instead of throwing it away, I put it in a to-go box & put it in the fridge that we have in the server station. My plan was to bring it home to my daughter [4f]. We’ve been struggling lately & this would likely be the only meal that I could feed her for the day.
I wrap up for the day, grab my kiddo's burger & catch the bus home. I greet my daughter, say bye to my sitter & warm up the jr cheeseburger. I bring it to my daughter & she’s ecstatic, obviously. I leave her to her burger & barbies & go to the living room to relax when my phone rings.
It’s my general manager. To make a long story shorter, she said that she saw on camera where I stole a meal & “hid” it in the fridge. I explained to her that not only was the food dead but, my daughter & I have been struggling extremely badly lately. She told me that’s unfortunate but, nevertheless, it’s corporate policy that what I did qualifies as stealing & is automatic termination. Tried to resonate with her to no avail, obviously.
I get that I was wrong but, I really wish they didn’t fire me for it. Just puts me in a shittier predicament. Whatever. I did take food that wasn’t mine. But, it was going in the trash anyway? I don’t get it but, clearly, I fucked up there. Yesterday, corporate finally called me back as I did call to try & fight it, I was basically told the same thing. That while my situation is unfortunate, i still breached policy.
TL;DR I got fired from IHOP for bringing home a cheeseburger that was going to be thrown in the trash. Even after explaining my situation, it didn’t make a difference.