A Man Was Awarded $276K After Being Fired For Allowing His 8-Year-Old Son To Finish The Pizza He Expensed

Listen ANY time you write an article with a headline like this one, I'm taking the time out of my busy schedule and clicking on it. 

Huge lawsuit payouts for some bullshit reason? I need to see how the professionals do it. I need to study the players at the top of their game, learn their craft. I've been walking around since I was a little tyke looking for the next loosely lidded McDonalds cup to burn my thighs, or even a patch of ice that should've been salted that I could slip on and hopefully break my arm. I'm living a great life right now, but am I living my dream? No, absolutely not. My DREAM is to have a minor inconvenience happen that I can sue the living shit out of a company for, and then I'll never work again. 

Now, it turns out that the guy actually got pretty screwed by his former employer, but it was still quite the story.

A former Toyota manager who was sacked over corporate credit card expenses

.....just one working day short of him qualifying for a $379,000 redundancy package after more than 20 years’ service.

Okay, Toyota, so you want to play a little hard ball. Before getting the facts of the case, misuse of the corporate credit card does seem like a fireable offense. But to get rid of this guy just ONE DAY before he collects nearly $400K seems a little fishy. 

As someone who watched Judge Judy from time to time, I had to read on before rendering my verdict.

Toyota had claimed Mr Sherry’s employment was terminated on the grounds of serious misconduct, including that he booked a larger room than was required for a work trip to Melbourne, on which he was accompanied by his wife and two young children, and bought a pizza on his work credit card for his son.

So far, I'm siding with Toyota. Fire this guy. SERIOUS MISCONDUCT! It's pretty damn obvious that he saw an opportunity to squeeze a little "family vacation" under the work credit card. If you get away with this move, it's genius. But if you get caught, goodbye. That's what we in the industry like to call a little Risk / Reward.

But then…..Mr. Sherry got to make his case. And it turns out we had no nefarious actions at all! He's just a good ol' dad that was actually abiding by the rules of the road.

Judge Scotting found the $32.50 pizza during the trip was Mr Sherry’s own meal, and his son ate one or two leftover slices. He paid for his family’s meals, totalling $50.50, on his personal credit card.

Oh you gotta be kidding me. This was over a $32 pizza expense? If you give me a company credit card, I'm using it for a whole lot more than that. And the fact that he personally paid for his families other meals is enough evidence right there to show me that this accusation doesn't add up. 

“On the dates that the plaintiff was required to travel to Melbourne, the Australian Open was in progress and demand for hotel rooms in the Melbourne CBD was high,” Judge Andrew Scotting said.

The expensive Australian hotel room in question came during the Australian Open…..? No shit it was expense.

Oh no! Toyota is stumbling! Mr. Sherry has them on the ropes!!

The travel request, including an email from a travel agent setting out about $1500 in additional accommodation costs, had been approved by his manager.

That'll do it. A knockout. A $276,000 knockout. I mean, his manager approved the costs. What else can you argue?

Ugh, some people have all the luck. I hope someone wrongfully fires me one day and I can collect 5 years salary to sit on my ass. Living the dream.