Alberta SkipTheDishes Driver Awarded $15K After Restaurant Refused To Give Him A Drink Tray
The driver's left arm was paralyzed.
A SkipTheDishes driver.
A SkipTheDishes driver in Red Deer, Alberta has been awarded $15,000 after a local restaurant refused to provide him with a drinks tray.
The driver, Denny Haverluck, has a paralyzed left arm from a motorcycle accident and isn't able to carry anything in his left hand.
Court documents said that in 2019, the restaurant Burger Boy had on multiple occasions "refused to provide him with a drink tray" when the order only had a single cup, although Haverluck could not carry it without one.
As a result, Haverluck said he felt "angry and embarrassed" by the restaurant's refusal to give him a tray and it forced him to stop accepting orders from the restaurant, affecting his rate of compensation and SkipTheDishes rating.
In her ruling, Karen Scott, a member of the Alberta Human Rights Commission said the discrimination that took place by the restaurant had a "significant impact" on Haverluck and his earnings.
She said Haverluck did not have the option to carry a drink in his hand and the refusal to provide him with a tray had an "adverse impact that is clearly connected to his disability."
Restaurant owners Selma and David Danielson denied Haverluck's claims in court, saying he "did not make anyone aware that he needed a tray."
The owners said they had stopped giving out drinks trays for orders with one drink "to limit cost and waste."
However, Scott said "on a balance of probabilities" she felt Haverluck did in fact request and was denied a tray "causing him difficulty collecting food orders."
Scott said the restaurant "provided no reasonable justification for its action which embarrassed and upset the complainant."
"Providing a disposable drink tray estimated to cost $0.50, was eminently simple, making the failure to provide it less forgivable," she added.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.