The law is meant to protect all people from all walks of life. In the area of employment law, one does not need to be a corporate executive to file a wrongful termination lawsuit. One British Columbia woman took her fast food employer to court after he fired her for allegedly taking food without permission.
The complainant had worked for the burger chain as a cook for approximately 24 years without incident. On December 27, 2013, the 55-year-old woman asked permission to take a fish sandwich, french fries and a drink at the end of her shift. Her general manager approved the request and the employee took the food with her.
On December 30, her employer confronted her about the food she had taken. The general manager took the position that she had only been entitled to take a sandwich, not the fries and drink. She apologized and offered to pay for the food. Her employer took this as an admission that she knowingly stole the items. He then decided to terminate her employment.
The judge dismissed the assertion that the woman had effectively confessed to the crime. Instead, he found that she had felt intimidated and was simply attempting to diffuse the situation in hopes of keeping her job. The complainant was supporting a physically disabled husband and two children at the time, one of whom is mentally disabled. The British Columbia Supreme Court ruled in her favour and awarded her $46,000 for damages and lost wages.
Most working men and women depend on their wages to meet their daily living expenses. Unexpectedly and undeservedly losing that income source can wreak havoc on the life of the individual and his or her family. A lawyer experienced in employment law can help terminated employees pursue a wrongful termination suit through to a satisfactory conclusion.
Ram v The Michael Lacombe Group Inc., 2017 BCSC 212
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