A Florida woman was fired from her job at IHOP, where she had worked for 13 years, after giving a homeless man a meal.
Polk County resident Victoria Hughes was working on Sunday when a homeless man approached the IHOP off US 98 in Lakeland, saying that he was hungry.
"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 told her manager about the incident, but his negative reaction to her good deed surprised her, reported WFLA.
"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.
Her manager became further upset with her when the same homeless man returned to the IHOP with a family who were willing to buy him another meal.
On Tuesday, Hughes was fired by her manager over the phone.
"He talked to me yesterday and told me that I was fired," she said. "I asked him for what? And he said, company policy."
"I need my job, but I would still do it again," she continued. "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."
WFLA investigators from the 8 On Your Side Team, which focuses on holding powerful actors like companies or even individuals accountable, picked up Hughes's story. Following the release of their coverage, Hughes received a call from IHOP's corporate office in which she was offered her job back with compensation for the workdays during which she was terminated.
"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.
"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," said Dan Enea, a spokesperson for Sunshine Restaurant Partners which operates IHOP. "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."
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