IHOP logo seen at one of their restaurants.
A woman in the Sunshine State says she was let go from her job over an act of kindness.
On Nov. 27, Florida resident Victoria Hughes appeared on NBC affiliate WFLA to discuss being fired from an IHOP in Lakeland, Florida, where she’d worked for 13 years. The story begins on Nov. 24, when a homeless man walked into the restaurant and asked her for food.
“He stated to me and the host that he was hungry,” Hughes said. “Without a second thought, I bought him the stack of pancakes and made him a water.”
Hughes said she told her manager about the situation and was surprised by his response that feeding the man would cause a “safety” or “loitering issue.” Hughes said things escalated at work when the same man came in, this time with family, for another meal.
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On Nov. 26, her manager called and fired her, according to Hughes. When she asked him for a reason, he said “company policy.”
Despite her firing, Hughes said she doesn’t regret what she did.
“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.”
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Days later, an IHOP executive called her with a job offer, adding that he offered to make a “healthy donation” to the local charity of her choice, said Hughes.
When reached for comment, a representative for IHOP referred TODAY.com to Sunshine Restaurant Partners, the franchisee that owns the Lakeland location.
Dan Enea, CEO of Sunshine Restaurant Partners, tells TODAY.com that they took immediate action to investigate the situation and have implemented training for their employees on addressing issues related to food insecurity.
“As part of our ongoing efforts to support those in need within our local community, we will continue to address food insecurity through our partnership with Feeding America and by making a donation to local Lakeland charities that also support this important cause,” Enea says.
But Hughes said she’s still mulling over whether or not she should return to her former job, taking the holiday season to spend time with her family.
This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:
