NEED TO KNOW
- A veteran chef took to Reddit to claim that he was fired after less than a week over two small mistakes at a new job
- He believes the real reason was bias or budget cuts following time off for his wife’s early birth
- Reddit users empathized, saying his dismissal seemed unfair, but also argued that the standard for chefs of his caliber is much higher
A seasoned kitchen professional found himself out of a job after less than a week, he alleges, after making what he described as minor mistakes that were essentially blown out of proportion.
The post appeared on Reddit’s r/KitchenConfidential forum, where the cook described his eight years of experience — including four years as a sous chef — before a family situation occured that caught management’s attention.
Stock photo of a chef yelling at another chef in a restaurant.
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The original poster, or ‘OP, explained that just before starting at his new corporate-kitchen position, his wife unexpectedly gave birth early and required emergency care. While he was adjusting and explaining to his new boss that he’d need to take off for a week away, his regional manager did not take it well.
“My regional chef on the other hand didn’t seem pleased as she showed no emotion as if I was lying and told my chef ‘its your call’ in a nonchalant tone,” OP wrote.
The second day the chef went to work, he claimed that another cook discovered unwrapped raw chicken in a pan on the bottom shelf of a walk-in. OP explained that it was wrapped and returned the pan to storage, assuming it would be used for a family meal. According to his account of the events, this was the first strike against him.
Then he recounted that during a busy service, he served 40 burgers and made a single medium-well mistake, which he described as a “genuine mistake” in the heat of the rush. After OP’s shift, he wsays he was pulled into the office and told his resume didn’t reflect the skills he claimed, and that he was being let go.
Stock photo of medium rare burger.
Getty Images/iStockphoto
“The kicker is he offered me the line cook position for less pay, but I thought I sucked on the line and those mistakes were very critical?” questioned OP. “Eventually he told me that he would help me get another job for someone that he knows under his word.”
The chef also added that he believed the two seemingly small incidents were pretexts, and he felt the real reason was a budget cut, given that he was initially offered $36/hour but the offer was reduced to $32/hour with the promise of a raise later, and his schedule was shifted from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. on short notice.
Reddit users responded with empathy. One commenter said the poster was “toast from day one because of your new child,” calling attention to the timing and stating the termination may have been illegal. Others urged him to accept the situation, find a new role and not engage in “naming and shaming” until he was financially stable.
The consensus came down to commenters arguing that in the high-stakes world of commercial kitchens, even small mistakes or perceived inconsistencies can cost anyone their job.
