Waitress fired after receiving £8k tip on £25 bill and sharing with co-workers

The heartwarming story took a dark turn

Linsey Boyd, from Michigan, received the huge tip but was then shocked to find she'd been let go despite sharing the money with eight of her co-workers.

Boyd said in a Facebook post that the drama ensued after a customer left the hugely generous tip to honor a recently departed friend.

The middle-aged man who didn't want to be identified said he was in town for a funeral and intended to spread some love with his big tip.

Boyd told WSBT: "I just gave him a hug. I didn't even know his name at that point, but I gave him a hug. He then told me he left her a memorial of someone very dear to him and he wanted to do something kind and generous in her name."

Able Martinez and Jayme Cousins said "labor laws" limited what they could share but claimed that the termination of Boyd had nothing to do with the $10,000 tip. 

The couple wrote in a Facebook post: "We cannot comment on the nature of her losing her job due to labor laws and to protect the staff involved.

"However, I will say it had nothing to do with the tip. She did receive the entire tip, she did not pay taxes on it (the business did). Yes, she shared the tip at the request of the man that left it."

But Boyd offered her side of the story, saying she was asked to take a mental health day as 'drama' unfolded inside the restaurant because of the tip. 

She said: "Drama ensued, and in an attempt to diffuse the situation and resolve any rumors, things became even worse."

She did not specify what happened and has since deleted the post and taken her entire Facebook page down.

However rumors have circulated, suggesting the staff who was not working that day may have expected to share the tip. 

One person wrote: "The staff that was not working the day of the $10,000 tip expected to be cut it and created an extremely dramatic work environment."

After the story went viral, many people have been shaming the restaurant online and ordering that they take Boyd back.