‘Not rude, just French’: fired waiter files human rights complaint

A French waiter who was fired for his “aggressive, rude and disrespectful” manner has claimed compensation, insisting that his behaviour is not unusual, but that he is simply French.

Guillaume Rey, who worked at a restaurant in Vancouver, Canada, has filed a complaint with British Columbia's Human Rights Tribunal against his former employer, claiming “discrimination” against his culture, The Local reports.

Rey was accused by restaurant operator Cara Operations of violating its code of conduct, adding the Rey had persisted in his behaviour despite verbal and written performance reviews.

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In response to the accusations, Rey claimed French culture “tends to be more direct and expressive”, and that he feels he was sacked due to his “direct, honest and professional personality”, which he acquired while training in France's hospitality industry.

“Both parties agree Rey performed well at his job, despite his allegedly disagreeable demeanour,” RTE reports, adding that the restaurant and its parent company has attempted to dismiss the complaint.

However, tribunal member Devyn Cousineau denied the dismissal, meaning the hearing will go ahead, although she added that the application's denial “should not be seen as an indication of the case's outcome”.

“Rey will have to explain what it is about his French heritage that would result in behaviour that people misinterpret as a violation of workplace standards of acceptable conduct,” she wrote.

The Daily Telegraph writes that the French authorities are “aware” of the country’s “reputation for rudeness”, adding that in 2015 the tourist board of France launched a “multi-million-euro drive to improve their difficult relationship with service and by extension our relation to others”.

Three years earlier, the city paid “smile ambassadors” to be friendly to tourists at the city’s main attractions – thought the site adds that this plan was implemented “to little avail”.