TIFU by stealing from my job.

UPDATE: I've wrote out everything I plan to say, calling corporate today. Will update later after I talk to them. Thank you guys for everything <3

UPDATE 2: I spoke to corporate today. I was asked to leave my number and assured I will received a call back. I will update on that call back.

UPDATE 3: Hi guys! Sorry for the late update, I just received a call back from them YESTERDAY. I was told that was I did WAS against policy and being that I broke policy there was really nothing that they could do. They basically said the same thing as my gm, that my situation is unfortunate but, I still breached company policy. I do have an interview on Thursday though for a WFH job!

Throwaway for obvious reasons. This actually happened yesterday. I [19f] was a server at a popular corporate restaurant that’s famous for pancakes (we have other things) but, pancakes are what we are known for. Yesterday afternoon, one of our newer servers accidentally rang in a kids jr cheeseburger while trying to ring in a different kids meal. As the food was coming up, she caught her mistake & told the cooks, went back to fix her ticket, etc. They pushed the kid's meal off to the side & everyone continued on about their day.

About an hour later, I still see the kid's meal sitting in what we call 'the window'. I asked my fellow servers & the cooks if it was “dead” (meaning: cold, throw away, can’t serve) They told me yes, so instead of throwing it away, I put it in a to-go box & put it in the fridge that we have in the server station. My plan was to bring it home to my daughter [4f]. We’ve been struggling lately & this would likely be the only thing I could feed her for the day.

I wrap up for the day, grab my kiddo's burger & catch the bus home. I greet my daughter, say bye to my sitter & warm up the jr cheeseburger. I bring it to my daughter & she’s ecstatic, obviously. I leave her to her burger & barbies & go to the living room to relax when my phone rings.

It’s my general manager. To make a long story shorter, she said that she saw on camera where I stole a meal & “hid” it in the fridge. I explained to her that not only was the food dead but, my daughter & I have been struggling extremely badly lately. She told me that’s unfortunate but, nevertheless, it’s corporate policy that what I did qualifies as stealing & is automatic termination. Tried to resonate with her to no avail, obviously.

I get that I was wrong but, I really wish they didn’t fire me for it. Just puts me in a shittier predicament. Whatever. I’ve thought about fighting it but, to who? I did take food that wasn’t mine. But, it was going in the trash anyway? I don’t get it but, clearly, I fucked up.

TL;DR I got fired from my job for bringing home a cheeseburger that was going to be thrown in the trash. Even after explaining my situation, it didn’t make a difference. Can I even fight this?