Italian chef reportedly refused pineapple on pizza and lost his job, arguing requests ‘need not be followed when it is offensive to his culture’
It was the third time in four years he refused to use pineapple on pizzas, and his challenge to the dismissal failed because it was filed too late.
A Brisbane restaurant dismissed an Italian chef after complaints that included his refusal to make a ham and pineapple pizza for guests at a function. According to BBC, the chef stated that management directions “need not be followed when it is offensive to his culture.” The restaurant, La Costa, has since closed.
The ruling noted it was the third time in four years he had refused to use pineapple on pizzas. He had previously asked his boss to “check how important it is for Italians not to put pineapple on a pizza.” The ruling also noted he considers it “an insult to his culture.” Refusing a customer’s order has also led to reported firings, as seen with a McDonald’s worker refusing a coffee order.
Management raised other concerns. They cited foul language, his communication style and “escalation of frustration in the workplace.” He was dismissed a fortnight after a meeting with management about the complaints.
He lost his claim over timing
The chef challenged the dismissal at the Fair Work Commission, but the application failed because it was filed too late. The Irish Times reports that Commissioner Jennifer Hunt dismissed the application and found it did not meet the criteria for exceptional circumstances.
The restaurant’s managing director states a large function came in, “spending in excess of $15,000.” He says the man paying for the event asked for ham and pineapple pizza. Workplace friction has ended other restaurant jobs, as seen with a Texas Roadhouse server’s firing.
The managing director asks, “Do I go and buy a ham and pineapple pizza? It’s probably not my absolute favourite.” He adds, “But I’m not going to turn my nose up at it, that’s for sure.” He also states the restaurant has had ham and pineapple pizza on the kids’ menu previously. The chef was more than three years into an employer-sponsored permanent residency visa process.
The managing director says he waited as long as the law allowed before notifying authorities that the restaurant would no longer employ the chef, hoping the visa would be approved first. It was not, so the chef has to start the process again. La Costa closed in July when its lease expired, and the managing director cited the high cost of doing business in Fortitude Valley. His LinkedIn profile states he now works at another Brisbane restaurant, where pineapple is not on the menu.
The chef alleges he was terminated in contravention of the Fair Work Act, with the dismissal partly motivated by a workplace injury. He fractured his right hand in two places after striking a metal handrail. 1News reports the restaurant’s position in the proceedings was that the “workplace injury, medical leave and workers’ compensation claim played no part in our decision to end his employment.”
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