Scottish Pizza Hut worker sacked after reporting food poisoning

A Scottish Pizza Hut worker has won more than £11,000 in compensation after he was sacked for raising food hygiene concerns.

David Low was unfairly dismissed after whistleblowing about cases of food poisoning.

He warned bosses about dangerous food hygiene practices he saw while working at the takeaway while he was a student at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen.

Mr Low worked for Ultra Catering, a franchise company that runs a number of Pizza Hut branches in Scotland.

He took part in a food safety course in early 2024 after being promoted to shift manager.

He then raised concerns about some of the practices he had seen at his own takeaway.

An employment tribunal report found that Mr Low said staff were not recording accurate temperatures for raw food products – a breach of Pizza Hut’s hygiene rules.

The tribunal found Mr Low flagged issues to managers at the store and warned it could fail an inspection.

He reported a case of food poisoning to Pizza Hut in April, and claimed to have become ill himself after eating at his branch.

In May, the tribunal found Low was informed by bosses he would be demoted and was accused of “maliciously complaining to Pizza Hut” and of “sabotage”.

He was then told to work at a branch in Dunfermline but was offered no further shifts.

Low brought a claim against Ultra Catering to an employment tribunal for unfair dismissal.

Judge James Hendry agreed with the complaint and awarded him £11,270.14 in compensation.

Judge Hendry said: “The claim succeeds and the tribunal finds that the claimant was unfairly dismissed from his employment with the respondent company for making protected disclosures.”

Pizza Hut has been contacted for comment.