A woman who worked at a bakery for 20 years was sacked for ‘theft’ after she was 20p short for a couple of sausage rolls.
Yvonne Hough, 54, only had a pound on her when she bought two sausage rolls for her grandkids on the way to a funeral.
When she forgot to pay back the 20p she owed the next day, shop owner Lynn Pinder questioned other staff members before looking at the CCTV footage.
Credit: Solent News
She then accused Hough of stealing and fired her for gross misconduct.
But Hough decided to launch legal action over her sacking and has now successfully sued the bakery for unfair dismissal – winning more than £3,000 at an employment tribunal.
A hearing in Manchester heard that the grandmother of five had been working at The Bake-Away in Preston since 2000 before the incident in June.
The judgement read: “As Miss Hough was leaving to attend a family funeral, she bought two sausage rolls for her grandchildren.
“Miss Hough paid [her colleague] Lesley Ryan £1 and told her that she was 20p short.
“On Ms Pinder’s return to the shop, after Miss Hough had left, she asked Lesley Ryan if Ms Hough had bought anything.
“Lesley Ryan told Ms Pinder that Miss Hough had given her £1 for a sausage roll… and said ‘that’s all you’re getting’.”
The tribunal heard that the next day Hough ‘forgot’ to pay back the 20p she owed and on the following day – when she was off work – Pinder reviewed the CCTV footage before sacking her over the phone.
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The report continued: “Ms Pinder informed Ms Hough that in her eyes this was theft. Miss Hough immediately hung up.
“Ms Pinder then texted Miss Hough asking her to bring her keys back ‘tomorrow’ and that she would be given her wages for that week.
Credit: Solent News
“Miss Hough responded, denying she was a thief and told Ms Pinder to take whatever money was owed out of her wages.”
The tribunal heard that Pinder accused of Hough of ‘deliberately’ paying the wrong amount and said the situation was made worse as she had broken a rule by serving her own family.
However, employment judge Jennifer Ainscough criticised Pinder for not carrying out a proper investigation and for failing to allow Hough to appeal the decision to sack her.
She ruled that Pinder and The Bake-Away unfairly dismissed Hough and awarded her £3,061 ($3,922) in a payout.
Speaking after the tribunal Hough said: “I just put the phone down on her. I thought ‘you cheeky cow’. I’m so happy to have won the case because it’s brought her down.”
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