Employer fires worker over Facebook rant

She complained about not receiving a tip for a $735 order

Employer fires worker over Facebook rant

A restaurant in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida has dismissed a waitress who violated company policy on discussing customers online.

Outback Steakhouse fired Tamlynn Yoder, 25, complained on Facebook about not receiving a tip for a carry-out order that came up to $735.

In her post, however, she did not identify where she worked, reported the Daily Mail.  

The waitress told the Palm Beach Post that she spent most of her shift putting together 75 items ordered by Christ Fellowship. She said she made just $18 in because she spent most of her time on the church's order of 25 steaks, 25 chickens and 25 potatoes.

“We take the order over the phone, we put the order together, take payment and then take order to the car…It's a lot of work just as much as serving.”

 “Coming in to eat or takeout, you should automatically be wanting to tip 15 per cent. From there, you either go up or go down based on service.”

A friend advised Yoder to take down her post and said he would call the church to see what could be done.

In turn, the Christ Fellowship Church called the restaurant to explain, saying that their volunteer who made the order just was not aware of the policy to tip on carry-out orders.

It was a misunderstanding, it said.

“We are sorry to hear about this situation and our leaders have been notified about it. We value our local business partners and those who work in their establishments—many of whom are members of our church—and it is customary for us to leave a generous tip whenever we pick up a carry-out order.”

But when Yoder came in to work the next day, her employer said Christ Fellowship had been refunded the entire $735, and that she was fired.

The church said it never intended for the waitress to be fired.

Speaking to The Post, spokeswoman for Outback Steakhouse, Cathie Koch said that company policy rules that employees cannot post about customers on social media – and can be subject to termination if the policy is violated.


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