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Florida megachurch compensates Outback server who was fired after complaining about not receiving tip

An Outback Steakhouse in California is featured in this image. | Wikimedia Commons/Alton

A Florida megachurch had reportedly compensated an Outback Steakhouse worker who was fired after she complained on Facebook about not receiving a tip from a $735 order from church members.

Tamlynn Yoder, 25, was fired from her job last week after she took to Facebook to express her frustration with Christ Fellowship Church in Palm Beach Gardens after church members ordered $735 worth of takeout but did not leave her a tip.

In her since-deleted post, Yoder complained that she had only earned $18 in tips that day from other orders because she had to prepare the megachurch's order.

Miami Herald noted that the 75-item order included 25 steaks, 25 chicken dinners and 25 sides of potatoes.

A friend of Yoder's, who had seen her post, contacted Christ Fellowship to complain about the situation and a church representative had called Outback in an attempt to compensate the waitress.

When Yoder had arrived at the restaurant the next day for her shift, she was informed by her manager that she had been fired and the church had received a full refund for the $735 order.

An Outback spokeswoman had explained that Yoder had violated a company policy that prohibited employees from talking about customers online.

Yoder said that Christ Fellowship leaders reached out to her in the following days and tried to help her find a new job.

"They told me they understood what was going on. They told me it wasn't their intention to not tip me and actually gave me a list of jobs that were hiring," Yoder said.

The waitress had not specified the amount she received from the church, but she noted that the compensation totaled "more than 20 percent of the bill."

"A few church families came together and gave it to me. It was a very heartwarming situation," the waitress said.

Yoder noted that she had already filled out a few applications at other nearby restaurants. She said that she intends to stay in the food business as she is hoping to open up her own comfort food eatery some day.

The waitress said that she is planning to stream Facebook Live segments, asking friends and followers to share stories and experiences about not receiving tips.

"I want people to know that it's frustrating to do all this work and not getting paid to do all this work," she said in a video.

Christ Fellowship had explained that their policy is to tip on carry-out orders, but their volunteer was not aware of that.