Nicole Lilliman,a three-year employe of a Tim Hortonsfranchise in London, Ontario, was

caught on a surveillance videotape giving a 16-cent Timbit to a cranky baby. Two days later, she

was called into the office by three managers and fired for theft. The termination papers stated that

she had been "terminated for giving the baby product without paying." Lilliman was hastily

reinstated when the story went public and threatened to become a public relations nightmare. A

spokesperson for Tim Hortons blamed the incident on an overzealous manager at a store that had

a policy against giving away food. Head office apologized to Lilliman, paid her for the lost days of

work, and gave her a job at a Tim Hortons store close to where she was previously employed.

Questions: Should giving away free food be just cause for dismissing an employee? The cost

of a Timbit is 16 cents.

What were the costs to Tim Hortons for the firing of an employee for giving one away for

free?

How should Tim Hortons revamp its policies to prevent similar public relations disasters?