How Many Policies Can a Worker Violate with One Selfie?

If a picture is worth a thousand words, this worker’s selfie was worth thousands in lost revenue as it got him fired!

If you were a cook at a restaurant, would you think it was a good idea to take a selfie lying on the food prep counter—shirtless—and then post it to social media and tag your employer for good measure?

WFTS Tampa Bay reports the cook was recognized by a regular customer who saw the selfie online under “Sexy Cooks of Chilis.” The cook had even tagged the restaurant in the post! So the picture was reported to his bosses.

Let’s see—what kind of policies and procedures did he violate here? Dress code, workplace sanitation rules, food preparation procedures—and maybe more. And then there is just the “ick factor” of the thought of your lunch being prepared there.

The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation was also informed of the pictures. It told the station that because no food was involved in the picture, the cook did not break any major laws. In a subsequent “surprise” inspection of the restaurant by the agency, no violations were cited.

A Chili’s Bar and Grill spokesperson said in a statement to the station, “Chili’s clearly does not encourage this type of behavior in our restaurants. We maintain very high standards of food quality, safety, and cleanliness and took immediate steps to ensure the restaurant continues to follow these requirements. Additionally, we ended this team member’s employment after learning of his conduct.”

Guess there is no selfie of the cook looking surprised by that move!