Can they sack her?

[KathrynOfArrogance]

So my friend works in a shop and serves the same lady every week who buys magazines, always have a little chit chat, as us women do! Last week she bought two of the same magazine, so she asked if she knew she had the same, as you would if the person normally buys two different magazines, right?! So she's jokes with her "oh I should call you dotty from now on!"
Apparently a woman behind her in the queue had dementia has complained to head office about the dotty remark!
She's now worried she'll get struck off!
Surely not? Worlds gone mad

No, they’re unlikely to sack her. She’ll most likely be sat down and have appropriate language in the workplace discussed and possibly do some sort of “respect in the workplace” training too.

Struck off means she can never do that type job again. So no she won’t be struck off a professional register.

It depends on what the works grievance policy says but if she has worked there for less than two years then they can get rid of her without any reason.

She just works in a book shop but worried she will lose the job
I thought she would have to go through disciplinary procedure. Surely that wouldn't be classed as gross misconduct and surely it's only how someone has perceived something?
God everyone would be sacked in this country if it was like that!

She won’t be sacked. Is unlikely to be disciplined even. It is most likely a sit down chat, possibly with some more customer service training.

Unless she has been complained about before in which case, it might result in a disciplinary.

Losing her job is extremely unlikely.