Watch: Meet the Upper Hutt barista awarded $16k after swearing saw her lose job

August 5, 2019

This coffee cart worker enjoys a bit of f’ing and blinding with her regular customers.

A Wellington coffee cart worker who was fired for using bad language feels like "a weight" is off her shoulders after being awarded $16,000 for unfair dismissal.

Rachel Ferrari was sent packing from her Flying Bean coffee cart job in Petone in May 2018.

Ms Ferrari admitted she often used colourful language with customers, but only when the situation warranted it.

"It's not like I would come out with a swear word in everyday conversation I would guage the customer and if they were having a bad day try and put a smile on their face," she told Seven Sharp.

"They'd always leave with a laugh."

However, after receiving a warning from her boss over language, a customer then complained and Ms Ferrari lost her job around two months later.

She lawyered up, and a recent decision saw her awarded $16,000 for unfair dismissal.

"It feels like a weight is off my shoulders, completely my name is cleared," she said.

Stuff reports that Flying Bean "denied Ferrari's claims and said her dismissal was procedural and substantively fair."

Ms Ferrari now has a new job serving coffee in Upper Hutt.

When asked if she has since curbed her language when interacting with customers, Ms Ferrari said: "I took points from my new boss, watched him with a couple of customers and I thought OK  then this is fun, this is my environment."

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