Furious IHOP employee reveals reason she was sacked: 'I would still do it again'
A longtime IHOP employee claims she was fired from her job of 13 years after she decided to help a man in need ahead of the holiday season.
Victoria Hughes claimed she was working at a restaurant in Lakeland, Florida last month when a homeless man walked in and said he was hungry.
'Without a second thought, I bought the stack of pancakes and made him a water,' she recounted to WFLA.
She also said she told her manager what she was up to, and was surprised by his reaction.
'He told me the reason behind him being upset [was] because it could cause a loitering issue... or a safety issue for customers,' Hughes said.
The man then returned to the restaurant two days later, when a local family brought him in for another meal.
Two days after that, Hughes said she received a phone call from her manager saying she was being let go.
'He'd talked to me yesterday and told me that I was fired,' she told the local news station. 'I asked him for what, and he said "company policy."'
Victoria Hughes claimed she was working at a restaurant in Lakeland, Florida last month when a homeless man walked in and said he was hungry
She said her manager told her she was fired after 13 years over "company policy"
Still, Hughes said she would do it over again if she were given the chance.
'I need my job, but I would still do it again. I truly would,' she said. '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,' she added.
Fortunately, after she shared her story, Hughes said she received a call from IHOP's corporate office with a job offer and compensation for the days 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.'
In a statement, Dan Enea, the CEO of Sunshine Restaurant Partners, which operates more than 150 IHOP locations, said the company is '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,' Enea said.
'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,' he added.
But Hughes said she will take time to decide whether to work for IHOP again after spending time with her family for the holidays.
