Dutch McDo's 'wrong' to fire worker over cheese slice...
in [Europe]
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From: Gregory Morrow on 27 Jan 2010 15:15 EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque) wrote: > Gregory Morrow wrote: >> http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8481827.stm >> >> McDonald's 'wrong' to fire worker over cheese slice >> >> A McDonald's outlet in the Netherlands was wrong to sack an employee >> for giving a colleague a piece of cheese on a hamburger, a court has >> ruled. >> >> The waitress was fired last March after she sold a hamburger to a >> co-worker who then asked for cheese, which she added. >> >> The fast-food chain argued this turned the hamburger into a >> cheeseburger, and so she should have charged more. >> >> But Leeuwarden district court ruled a written warning would have >> been more appropriate. >> >> McDonald's was ordered to pay the former employee more than 4,200 >> euros ($5,900; �3,660) for the last five months of her contract. >> >> The fast-food chain had argued that the waitress - who was employed >> at a branch in the northern town of Lemmer - had broken staff rules >> prohibiting free gifts to family, friends or colleagues. >> >> But the court said in its written judgement: "The dismissal was too >> severe a measure. It is just a slice of cheese," reports AFP news >> agency. >> >> The ruling comes days after McDonald's reported an increase in net >> profits by almost a quarter in the last three months of 2009..." >> >> </> >> >> > > It has been many years since I worked in the restaurant industry (and > those I worked in were on a somewhat higher "social" scale than > McD's). However, most restaurants - at least in California - > included meals as part of their employees' salaries. (At least I > infer that "colleague" implies the recipient of the cheese was a > fellow-employee.) The provision of meals for employees varies according to the situation, in some restos it's standard practise, in larger corporate - type chain places it may not be... I know people that work in a Border's (large chain of US bookstores) and workers in the cafes in these stores are *expressly* forbidden from taking home leftovers at the end of the shift - *all* unsold food items *must* be disposed of at the end of the shift. I've also known of cases of, say, flight attendants who have been reprimanded - or even sacked - for taking leftover food items from the plane galleys. The severity of such rules - or the lack of them - is entirely up to the employer. -- Best Greg
From: Bill Bonde {Colourless green ideas don't sleep furiously) on 27 Jan 2010 09:54 Gregory Morrow wrote: > > Bill Bonde {Colourless green ideas don't sleep furiously) wrote: > > > Tom P wrote: > >> > >> Gregory Morrow wrote: > >>> Earl Evleth wrote: > >>> > >>>> On 27/01/10 12:19, in article > >>>> DsCdnWI0k5Crgv3WnZ2dnUVZ_tudnZ2d(a)earthlink.com, "Gregory Morrow" > >>>> <rrrrrrrrrorrr(a)rrrnrjj.fi> wrote: > >>>> > >>>>> But the court said in its written judgement: "The dismissal was > >>>>> too severe a measure. It is just a slice of cheese," reports AFP > >>>>> news agency. > >>>> A reprimand was more in order. > >>>> > >>>> Drastic treatment of workers is a hallmark of modern, > >>>> profits-are-everything Capitalism. Basically > >>>> terrorize the workers. > >>>> > >>>> To repeat, Capitalism has no social goals, it lacks > >>>> human empathy. It ranks with Fascism in that regard. > >>> > >>> > >>> This kerfuffle is something I'd expect in the US, not in the EU > >>> where worker - protection laws are stronger... > >>> > >> > >> You'd be surprised. In Germany we've had several such cases recently > >> in court where the employees lost. I can't remember the details of > >> all the cases but one such case was a secretary who was fired for > >> eating a sandwich that was left over after a management meeting. > >> The employers' usual claim in court is that the worker's behaviour > >> "has led to an irrepairable breakdown in the trust and confidence in > >> the relationship between employer and employee" or some such wording. > >> > > I think there's a difference between someone being frugal and > > eating food that would otherwise be tossed and whether or not the > > employer can let that person go legally. It is *not* a good reason > > to fire someone given the above facts, but it should be allowed, > > absent a contract that states rules for firings. This is true > > because an employer shouldn't need *any* legally justifiable reason > > to let an employee go. > > Bill, you are a regular "Simon Legree"...!!! > I don't see how. I believe that employers and employees should generally be allowed to bargain with each other for employment. I certainly don't support slavery or mistreatment of people. -- "Gonna take a sedimental journey", what Old Man River actually said.
From: Bill Bonde {Colourless green ideas don't sleep furiously) on 27 Jan 2010 09:56 Gregory Morrow wrote: > > EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque) wrote: > > > Gregory Morrow wrote: > >> http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8481827.stm > >> > >> McDonald's 'wrong' to fire worker over cheese slice > >> > >> A McDonald's outlet in the Netherlands was wrong to sack an employee > >> for giving a colleague a piece of cheese on a hamburger, a court has > >> ruled. > >> > >> The waitress was fired last March after she sold a hamburger to a > >> co-worker who then asked for cheese, which she added. > >> > >> The fast-food chain argued this turned the hamburger into a > >> cheeseburger, and so she should have charged more. > >> > >> But Leeuwarden district court ruled a written warning would have > >> been more appropriate. > >> > >> McDonald's was ordered to pay the former employee more than 4,200 > >> euros ($5,900; �3,660) for the last five months of her contract. > >> > >> The fast-food chain had argued that the waitress - who was employed > >> at a branch in the northern town of Lemmer - had broken staff rules > >> prohibiting free gifts to family, friends or colleagues. > >> > >> But the court said in its written judgement: "The dismissal was too > >> severe a measure. It is just a slice of cheese," reports AFP news > >> agency. > >> > >> The ruling comes days after McDonald's reported an increase in net > >> profits by almost a quarter in the last three months of 2009..." > >> > >> </> > >> > >> > > > > It has been many years since I worked in the restaurant industry (and > > those I worked in were on a somewhat higher "social" scale than > > McD's). However, most restaurants - at least in California - > > included meals as part of their employees' salaries. (At least I > > infer that "colleague" implies the recipient of the cheese was a > > fellow-employee.) > > The provision of meals for employees varies according to the situation, in > some restos it's standard practise, in larger corporate - type chain places > it may not be... > > I know people that work in a Border's (large chain of US bookstores) and > workers in the cafes in these stores are *expressly* forbidden from taking > home leftovers at the end of the shift - *all* unsold food items *must* be > disposed of at the end of the shift. I've also known of cases of, say, > flight attendants who have been reprimanded - or even sacked - for taking > leftover food items from the plane galleys. The severity of such rules - or > the lack of them - is entirely up to the employer. > I think though that customers who believe in frugality and abhor such waste should make their views known. -- "Gonna take a sedimental journey", what Old Man River actually said.
From: Gregory Morrow on 27 Jan 2010 15:51 Bill Bonde {Colourless green ideas don't sleep furiously) wrote: > Gregory Morrow wrote: >> >> EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque) wrote: >> >>> Gregory Morrow wrote: >>>> http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8481827.stm >>>> >>>> McDonald's 'wrong' to fire worker over cheese slice >>>> >>>> A McDonald's outlet in the Netherlands was wrong to sack an >>>> employee for giving a colleague a piece of cheese on a hamburger, >>>> a court has ruled. >>>> >>>> The waitress was fired last March after she sold a hamburger to a >>>> co-worker who then asked for cheese, which she added. >>>> >>>> The fast-food chain argued this turned the hamburger into a >>>> cheeseburger, and so she should have charged more. >>>> >>>> But Leeuwarden district court ruled a written warning would have >>>> been more appropriate. >>>> >>>> McDonald's was ordered to pay the former employee more than 4,200 >>>> euros ($5,900; �3,660) for the last five months of her contract. >>>> >>>> The fast-food chain had argued that the waitress - who was employed >>>> at a branch in the northern town of Lemmer - had broken staff rules >>>> prohibiting free gifts to family, friends or colleagues. >>>> >>>> But the court said in its written judgement: "The dismissal was too >>>> severe a measure. It is just a slice of cheese," reports AFP news >>>> agency. >>>> >>>> The ruling comes days after McDonald's reported an increase in net >>>> profits by almost a quarter in the last three months of 2009..." >>>> >>>> </> >>>> >>>> >>> >>> It has been many years since I worked in the restaurant industry >>> (and those I worked in were on a somewhat higher "social" scale than >>> McD's). However, most restaurants - at least in California - >>> included meals as part of their employees' salaries. (At least I >>> infer that "colleague" implies the recipient of the cheese was a >>> fellow-employee.) >> >> The provision of meals for employees varies according to the >> situation, in some restos it's standard practise, in larger >> corporate - type chain places it may not be... >> >> I know people that work in a Border's (large chain of US bookstores) >> and workers in the cafes in these stores are *expressly* forbidden >> from taking home leftovers at the end of the shift - *all* unsold >> food items *must* be disposed of at the end of the shift. I've also >> known of cases of, say, flight attendants who have been reprimanded >> - or even sacked - for taking leftover food items from the plane >> galleys. The severity of such rules - or the lack of them - is >> entirely up to the employer. >> > I think though that customers who believe in frugality and abhor > such waste should make their views known. "Customers" don't enter into the equation, Bill... Didja read a coupla weeks back about big retail stores who dump large numbers of items into the trash even though the items are perfectly usable? Clothier H&M was one culprit mentioned in the IIRC _New York Times_ story. Not only do they dump the items, but they tear them up so anyone that finds them in the trash will not be able to use them. Border's books is another chain that does this, a large store routinely dumps thousands of dollars worth of perfectly good merchandise into the trash each month. In the case of Borders the employees are not even told when this is going go to happen, and it's a condition of their employment that they not tell *anyone* when it does happen... OTOH a number of food stores or restos will donate their over-stock or whatever to food pantries and charities...and OTOH some forbid this absolutely. -- Best Greg
From: Bill Bonde {Colourless green ideas don't sleep furiously) on 27 Jan 2010 10:38
Gregory Morrow wrote: > > Bill Bonde {Colourless green ideas don't sleep furiously) wrote: > > > Gregory Morrow wrote: > >> > >> EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque) wrote: > >> > >>> Gregory Morrow wrote: > >>>> http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8481827.stm > >>>> > >>>> McDonald's 'wrong' to fire worker over cheese slice > >>>> > >>>> A McDonald's outlet in the Netherlands was wrong to sack an > >>>> employee for giving a colleague a piece of cheese on a hamburger, > >>>> a court has ruled. > >>>> > >>>> The waitress was fired last March after she sold a hamburger to a > >>>> co-worker who then asked for cheese, which she added. > >>>> > >>>> The fast-food chain argued this turned the hamburger into a > >>>> cheeseburger, and so she should have charged more. > >>>> > >>>> But Leeuwarden district court ruled a written warning would have > >>>> been more appropriate. > >>>> > >>>> McDonald's was ordered to pay the former employee more than 4,200 > >>>> euros ($5,900; �3,660) for the last five months of her contract. > >>>> > >>>> The fast-food chain had argued that the waitress - who was employed > >>>> at a branch in the northern town of Lemmer - had broken staff rules > >>>> prohibiting free gifts to family, friends or colleagues. > >>>> > >>>> But the court said in its written judgement: "The dismissal was too > >>>> severe a measure. It is just a slice of cheese," reports AFP news > >>>> agency. > >>>> > >>>> The ruling comes days after McDonald's reported an increase in net > >>>> profits by almost a quarter in the last three months of 2009..." > >>>> > >>>> </> > >>>> > >>>> > >>> > >>> It has been many years since I worked in the restaurant industry > >>> (and those I worked in were on a somewhat higher "social" scale than > >>> McD's). However, most restaurants - at least in California - > >>> included meals as part of their employees' salaries. (At least I > >>> infer that "colleague" implies the recipient of the cheese was a > >>> fellow-employee.) > >> > >> The provision of meals for employees varies according to the > >> situation, in some restos it's standard practise, in larger > >> corporate - type chain places it may not be... > >> > >> I know people that work in a Border's (large chain of US bookstores) > >> and workers in the cafes in these stores are *expressly* forbidden > >> from taking home leftovers at the end of the shift - *all* unsold > >> food items *must* be disposed of at the end of the shift. I've also > >> known of cases of, say, flight attendants who have been reprimanded > >> - or even sacked - for taking leftover food items from the plane > >> galleys. The severity of such rules - or the lack of them - is > >> entirely up to the employer. > >> > > I think though that customers who believe in frugality and abhor > > such waste should make their views known. > > "Customers" don't enter into the equation, Bill... > They better. If you run a business, your customers are who pay you. If they think that you are wasting food, they might be less likely to go to your food selling place. > Didja read a coupla weeks back about big retail stores who dump large > numbers of items into the trash even though the items are perfectly usable? > There's a lot of this that goes on, in business and in government and by private people. It's the sort of thing that if people knew and didn't like it, they could respond. > Clothier H&M was one culprit mentioned in the IIRC _New York Times_ story. > Not only do they dump the items, but they tear them up so anyone that finds > them in the trash will not be able to use them. Border's books is another > chain that does this, a large store routinely dumps thousands of dollars > worth of perfectly good merchandise into the trash each month. > Probably generated by the court ruling that made it harder to hold old stock on the books. > In the case > of Borders the employees are not even told when this is going go to happen, > and it's a condition of their employment that they not tell *anyone* when it > does happen... > Frankly, I'd make it legal to access these materials in the dumpsters. > OTOH a number of food stores or restos will donate their over-stock or > whatever to food pantries and charities...and OTOH some forbid this > absolutely. > What I'm saying is that if this stuff matters to you, go to the place that isn't wasteful. -- "Gonna take a sedimental journey", what Old Man River actually said. |