Usha Ram had been frying burgers at the same Burger King in Vancouver, Canada, for 24 years. 🍔
One night in 2013, she forgot her wallet and asked her manager for permission to take food home: a sandwich, fries, and a drink. She understood that the manager had said yes — they spoke Hindi, and there was no misunderstanding on her part. But the company later claimed that the manager had only authorized the sandwich, and accused her of stealing the rest. They fired her without further ado, after 24 years of being her family’s sole provider.
The case reached the Supreme Court of British Columbia. The judge was clear: there was no intent to steal, Ram had never hidden anything and had never had a disciplinary issue before. The value of what she took, with the employee discount, was just 50 cents.
The ruling forced Burger King to pay her $21,000 in lost wages and another $25,000 in damages, a total of $46,000. All over a serving of fries. 😤