A woman made headlines after complaining about getting fired for checking her phone for several hours during her shift.
Sophie Alcock is a 20-year-old history student and aspiring chef who was sacked from her job at Toast in Manchester, England, after her boss, Matt, found an issue with her screen time during her shift.
As the young woman explained, she was distracted at her workplace on July 5 because she was waiting for her degree results. While she admitted that she “could have performed better” that day, the student insisted the results were “extenuating circumstances” and that her boss could have always asked her “to do more work” and use less phone during work time.
After July 5, Sophie allegedly heard a rumor that she was getting fired for her bad attitude at the workplace. She then immediately contacted Matt and demanded an explanation.
During their meeting, the 20-year-old secretly recorded her conversation with her boss in which the man insisted that she had been checking her phone for four hours during her shift and that she didn’t deserve the job because she didn’t perform well enough.
Fighting back, Sophie accused the boss of not communicating with her while insisting she had only been on her phone for just less than three hours that day.
Since getting sacked, Sophie shared her recorded conversation with her boss on social media and threatened to ruin his business.
“The way he fired me was so unprofessional and he couldn’t provide me with a just cause. He met me once and saw me work on one day and it was the day I got my degree result. I was very anxious,” she said.
“I told him I was getting my results and I might be a bit distracted, he seemed like it was fine. He didn’t say I wasn’t doing my job properly. I got out every order on time.
Speaking of the termination of her contract, she added: “I’ve just moved into a flat and I’m unemployed. I have to explain to my next employer that I was fired. I’m more embarrassed than anything because others knew before I did.
“He basically said I was lazy and it was the worst day of work he’d ever seen but everyone I know will testify that I’m not a lazy person. I could have performed better. I’m not saying my shift was perfect but I had extenuating circumstances. He could have told me how he wants his kitchen run but he just fired me.”
Sophie’s rant, however, seemed to backfire as the majority of people sided with the business saying the 20-year-old was self-centered and entitled.
“Check your phone in your own time, not your bosses time. This person’s attitude is entirely wrong, she needs to change, or she’ll be losing many more jobs,” someone wrote.
“Waiting for exam results is not an extenuating circumstance. Work was clearly not a priority for this woman. The boss did the right thing,” another said.
Many viewers also slammed the woman and suggested she committed criminal offenses by secretly recording her conversation with her boss and publishing it on social media while threatening to ruin his business.
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She was wrong in every way. No respect. She should be fined or arrested for recording the conversation. She deserved it get fired. Got everything she deserved. Do not feel sorry for her at all.
In England, it’s not illegal to record someone without their knowledge.
It most certainly is.
Recording a person or persons without consent is illegal in England 1st yr law student will tell you that
I would imagine its not illegal to make the recording but it’s what you do with that recording afterwards that could be illegal.
As it was a conversation she was a part of, it was completely legal for her to record it. Where it MAY become an issue is her sharing it on social media.
It most certainly is in any area of the Uk. You must inform someone that you are about to record them
Totally agree ! We al have to learn respect for our boss at sometime in are life .
Absolutely.
I think she deserves to be fired because it’s rude to check your phone so many times during her work shift thst shows no respect to her coworkers or her boss
She deserves to be fired ur there to work not sit on your phone . That the whole problem with the younger generation they think their intiteled to do what they want so bye bye you won’t make it in this world with the attitude
3 HOURS..That’s a lot more than just checking your phone. Serves yourself right.
I believe the article meant over the course of 3hrs of her shift. Not a straight 3hrs.
Most shifts are 8 hours. She was on her phone for 3+ hours!!! That is almost ½ her shift. Doesn’t matter how the time was split she only worked a part-time shift and got paid full-time. That is theft of employer resources. She deserved to get fired
Typical behavior for this generation in my experience. Checking your phone at all while on the clock should be unacceptable. Check on break and lunch. What would have changed by learning her outcome an hour earlier?
If I had a nickel for every time I almost got rear ended by some moron boomer on their phone, I’d be set to retire by tomorrow.
It’s boomers doing it – it’s Gen Zs!!
Where I worked you couldn’t look at your phone and it wasn’t allowed on the shop floor serves her right and to say she only looked at her phone for 3hours tough lesson but learn from it
No one should be allowed to use personal phones during working hours.
Phones relating to job are correct. Her results were not going to change in a few hours.
Sounds quite a disrespectful person ,hope she learns by her mistake and try harder .
Having co workers know she’s being sacked before her is wrong. That shows a breach of gdpr, that the boss has discussed her and circumstances with colleagues. Also if he was on shift with her and her work was so bad, why didn’t her verbal say so. Bad management and people skills really. The manager could have said it at the time stop going on your phone and reprimand her. I’m not saying it’s right to be on phone at all as I bet they have a policy on it, and 3 hours is really a long time, but also how much of that was in the working time? I really can’t believe that they didn’t say on the day that’s enough put it away. Also recording you can do if you feel threatened or harassed, but to them put on social media with threats is on another level.
If an employee isn’t intelligent enough to know they shouldn’t be on their phone during work hours they probably aren’t a good employee anyway. Each person is responsible for their own behavior, that’s not a management issue. Integrity is a personal issue!
100% agree
Not only should she be fired. But she should not be paid for the time she spent on her phone.
Young people today think that they just have to show up. Inmy company you cannot have a phone on the job. Leave it in your car or in a desk draw if u work in the office. She totally should have been fired
He was right to fire her. Checking your phone is one thing but being on your phone for hours during work time is quite different. Also to fire her for “first offence” is unusual. It was probably not the first time she had done this.
You get paid to work she could check on her results during her break end of debate. One question I would be asking is what is someone doing with a phone in the kitchen health and safety.
I worked in child care. We weren’t allowed to have our phones with us. When my daughter in law was in labour, the same rule applied. I will admit I was a bit distracted that afternoon and every time the office phone went I was looking towards the office. The manager knew and understood that. We even had to challenge a parent to switch off their phones if they came into the nursery using them. Doing that led to a parent threatening to knock my blankty balnk head off. If I was an employer, I wouldn’t allow phones on a person during work hours. Only on break times.
She should be happy she is not being sued. If I was recorded and it was publized I would definitely get legal involed. She is an entiled brat.
This is free country, she is right to do whatever she want, She is not a slave. Those cheap bosses only care their profit and never care their employees.
Sounds like you have the same mentality as she does
So if you hired a contractor to do a job for you and he spent about 3 hrs out of 8 on their phone ( thus taking longer to do the job) you are ok with that? So you being the boss in this case does not bother you that you are paying double the cost? as that is what you are saying here.
She’s free to do whatever she wants on her own time, not someone else’s! The degree would be conferred whether she checked her phone or waited. She was wrong on many fronts and if she doesn’t become disciplined and professional, her life will be filled with many firings!
Free country yes, but your getting paid to work not be consistently on your phone while on the clock.
On the boss’s paid time, boss’s rules, she has the right to look at her phone during her break periods. Recording a conversation without the other party’s knowledge is also wrong.
You sound like a very entitled brat. Having freedom does not mean free of consequence and not being able to do things during work hours is not a slave. Get a life.
Agree! What’s wrong with people these days (especially Gen Zs) that feel their phones takes precedence over anything else?! I was at a funeral and watched a 20 year old in front of me scroll on Instagram ? I mean Really???? Next generation is lost .
This is a free country? Seriously? Is she a friend of yours? She was working. You can’t do whatever you want at work. There is a time and place to use your phone and it shouldn’t be at work.
Why didn’t the boss approach her while she was on her phone and give her a warning? The boss was out of order telling other employees he was sacking her before she got to know. I wouldn’t want to work there just on those grounds. The girl done wrong but wasn’t even given a warning!
Chances ate pretty good it was the others complaining. More than likely this wasn’t her first offense either. She may want it to seem that way, but most people will recognize behavior as abnormal ND start a conversation. Chances are pretty good it was normal, this just happened to be the worst example of it that could no longer be ignored. 3 hrs is a long time no matter what. She needs to grow up, learn from it, acknowledge she can and will do better in the future and move on.
She deserved it. She was in the wrong in every way.
Shouldn’t the manager be reprimanded for disclosing private information/breaching confidentiality?
Is there a policy of having to write her up three times before firing?
Is it it an “At will” State?
Was her lack of performance based on this one incident?
How long was she actually on that phone during one shift?
Did her distractions put her and other employees at risk of being hurt?
Food for thought
It’s hard to respond without proper information
I think the employer should have made a rule about phone use while working,And 3 hours is a long time to be distracted while on your shift!
You are employed to do a task not play on your phone. I have never known kitchen staff to be able to play on their phones for upto or over a course of three hours as they are normally hundred mile an hour in their roles. Young lady you was in the wrong yet I also feel that your employer could have taken further steps before firing you. Best wishes for your future and leave your phone in the locker from here on in.
Three hours just to check results. Load rubbish. If that worried ask boss or ŵait till break time.and to record convo wanted fireworks silly
girl.
You were hired to work, not, talk on the phone. Using company time to use your phone is
the same as stealing.
What an attitude thinking you should get paid to be on your phone for 3 hours. Change or you will not keep a job. What is the matter with this entitled millennial generation, he is the Boss you work for him not the other way round.
She was absolutely in the wrong. She was at work to work not to check her phone. Whether she checked her phone at work or after work her degree results were going to be the same. Ask to take a break and check your phone at that time. The way she kept checking her phone was so unprofessional.
You need to be fired…you are there to WORK, not be on your phone. You say your boss should have been more professional, so what is your excuse for NOT being professional by NOT being on your phone? I’m glad that he fired you, someone needs to stand by what is right or wrong……and it was WRONG of you to be on your phone….plus 3 hours?????? During an 8 hour shift????? Who do you think you are? Having a job is NOT an entitlement, it’s a privledge!!