A Burger King Cook Was Fired After 24 Years for Taking Home 50 Cents Worth of Food — A Judge Awarded Her $46,000

Imagine losing your job over a fish sandwich. After 24 years of loyal service.

That's exactly what happened to Usha Ram, a 55-year-old Burger King cook in Vancouver, British Columbia, who was fired in December 2013 for taking home a fish sandwich, french fries, and an orange pop at the end of her shift.

A Sandwich Worth 50 Cents

On December 27, 2013, Ram was finishing her shift at the Burger King where she'd worked for years. She'd forgotten her wallet that day and asked her manager, Tayyaba Salman, if she could take some food home. They spoke in Hindi. Ram believed she was given permission.

She took a fish sandwich, fries, and a drink. After employee discounts, the food was worth roughly 50 cents.

Management saw it differently. They called it theft and fired her on the spot — ending a 24-year career across multiple Burger King locations in British Columbia.

Taking on a Corporation

Ram didn't accept it quietly. An immigrant from Fiji with limited education, she was the sole breadwinner for her family. Losing her job wasn't just unfair — it was devastating.

She took Burger King to the B.C. Supreme Court.

Justice, Supersized

Justice Lisa Warren didn't mince words. She ruled that Ram genuinely believed she had permission to take the food and found no intent to steal. The judge noted that Ram had no prior disciplinary issues across her entire 24-year tenure.

Warren called the firing disproportionate, pointing out that a warning or minor reprimand would have been appropriate for what amounted to a simple misunderstanding.

The court awarded Ram $21,000 in lost wages plus $25,000 in aggravated damages — a total of $46,000.

The Bigger Picture

The case became a lightning rod for debates about worker rights and corporate overreaction. Ram had given Burger King nearly a quarter century of her working life. In return, they fired her over food worth less than a cup of coffee.

The legal fees alone likely cost Burger King far more than $46,000. Sometimes the most expensive thing a company can do is be cheap about the wrong things.