LAKELAND, Fla. (WFLA) — A Polk County woman said her simple act of kindness left her out of a job right before the holidays.
She said she was fired from her server job after helping a homeless man get something to eat.
Victoria Hughes said she spent 13 years serving customers at the IHop off US 98 in Lakeland, but now, instead of working the holiday rush, Victoria is at home with her family.
Hughes said a good deed led to her termination after she served food to a homeless man this past Sunday.
“He stated to me and the host that he was hungry,” Hughes said. “Without a second thought, I bought the stack of pancakes and made him a water.”
Hughes said she then informed her manager but claimed his reaction caught her off guard.
“He told me the reason behind him being upset because it could cause a loitering issue, was that things like that are a safety issue for customers,” Hughes said.
Hughes said tensions escalated further when the same homeless man returned with a family who brought him in for another meal.
Then on Tuesday, Hughes said she received a phone call from her manager telling her she’d been let go.
“He talked to me yesterday and told me that I was fired,” she said. “I asked him for what? And he said, company policy.”
Despite losing her job, just before the holidays, Hughes told us she stands by her decision.
“I need my job, but I would still do it again,” she said. “I truly would. I would still help somebody if I could. If he asked me for my shirt, I probably would have tried to give him that too.”
After 8 On Your Side got involved, Hughes tells us she got a call direct from IHOP’s corporate office, a call that included a job offer, and compensation for the days of work she missed.
“He also told me he would make a donation, a healthy donation, to a charity of my choice, that I wanted in my local community,” Hughes said.
The company has since issued a statement on the matter:
We are committed to providing an inclusive environment, welcome to everyone. As we actively investigate this situation, we will utilize this as an opportunity to train our employees on how to approach instances surrounding food insecurity. To continue our commitment to supporting those in need in our local community, we are making a donation to Feeding America as well as local Lakeland charities that support food insecurity,” – Dan Enea, Sunshine Restaurant Partners, IHOP Fran
Hughes told us, she will take some time to think about her decision on whether to go back to working for the company after taking some time to spend with her family.
