To not feel bad that this man got the sack?

[flubdub]

Will try and be brief as possible.
I started a new job about 6 weeks ago in a restaurant.
The chef there was awful. He called you names (Told me to get my head out of my arse for forgetting a pot of gravy ), he threw stuff around in the kitchen, told a few members of staff that he needed to go for a fag before he stabbed one of us, shouting and swearing in the kitchen about customers, that could 100% hear him, sexual remarks to my boss - that kind of carry on.
My boss, is my sons, best friends, mum and I see her quite a bit.
I was at her house one day last week, and she asked how work went. I sarcastically said "X was on fine form today."
She asked why, and I told her some of the above. I wasn't 'telling tales' and only told her because she asked and the conversation went that way.

What I didnt know, was that X was on his final warning and had only worked for this business since August.
It was the final straw for my boss.
I went into work today and everybody is flustered because he's been sacked.
Nobody apart from me, knows why, and everybody is speculating. Nobody was really a big fan of his and everybody is wondering if it is their fault (It was mentioned to the other chef that it's because of something he said to one of us last week.)
Tbh, if I'd have known it would cost him his job, I wouldn't have said anything and I do feel guilty.
He started work in August '17, and had 3 months off, from Sept - Dec, so to get to your final warning in the few months that he was actually there, is quite a feat.
When my boss comes back off holiday, she will no doubt mention why he was sacked to other staff members, and I'm worried that everybody will be mad at me and I'm trying to convince myself that I haven't done anything wrong.
Have I?

Christ no, he was a volatile liability who was putting staff off and likely customers off the place. Saying he needs a fag before he stabs someone is bloody outrageous, he deserved to lose his job. Let’s face it, he was on his final warning- you did the boss a favour.

Why would they be mad at you? He sounds really awful - surely they should be glad he's gone?

It’s the chef’s fault. You’re not responsible for his bad behaviour. It’s probably not the first time he’s been sacked 🤷‍♀️

You've done nothing wrong legally but I'd be looking for a new job to make a fresh start. When people find out about you 'dobbing' you'll struggle. You'll have made enemies and due to long and tough hours, staff in bars and restaurants tend to stick together.

Was anything broken when he threw things? Was anyone hurt?

Thank you all. I knew I shouldn't feel bad, but I do.
The waitresses are fretting that it might be their fault and I don't know what to do about that?
The other chefs first words to my co-worker this morning were "Thanks for getting X sacked." He said it sarcastically and he wasn't happy, so that set everybody off worrying then. It wasn't her fault and she didn't know anything about it, so I think they might be mad at me, because they are worrying that it's them IYSWIM. Any advice on how to approach that would be appreciated.

@bootLegging
That's exactly what I'm worried about.

No nothing was broken and nobody was hurt. It was plastic tubs, things like that. He didn't just slam them around though, he actually threw them across the room.

If you know the owner well, it might be worth asking her to talk to the staff about policies and that she actually wants them to let her know about appalling behaviour like this in the workplace.

The other chef who blamed your co-worker is wrong to blame and bully her. It sounds like there are some employees who have a generally unpleasant attitude, apart from the chef who was sacked. The owner really needs to get to the bottom of it and make it clear it won't be tolerated, and that people should feel they can tell management if there are issues.

Absolutely don't feel bad. I'd fire someone like him for gross misconduct. On the spot. (More like, as soon as possible after getting one of our elusive HR colleagues on the line - I'd suspend with immediate effect, though.)

This one person may have got the sack, but think of the people no longer having to put up with his antics. You've done them a favour. You've also done right by your employer by protecting them from possible future lawsuits etc.

So, well done all around, OP!

PS: your feelings are entirely understandable. I still feel a bit bad for reporting my former boss for sexual harassment not only of myself but also of a client. I may have saved the client contract by doing so and certainly wouldn't be in my job if I hadn't - but on a purely emotional level I still feel a bit sorry.

I don't see why the boss should have to say explicitly that it was something you said?

He was a dick Gordon Ramsey wannabe. For him to have been on his final warning in just a few months shows what a tool he was. Don't feel bad.

I did ask my boss not to mention my name, when she said that it was about time they got rid of him.
But, she is very good friends with the lady that the other chef blamed, and they will talk about it. Then my name will come up and everybody will know within minutes.
I'll just have to put my big girl pants on and deal with it I think. It's not helped by the fact that I'm relatively new there and haven't had time to really establish a proper relationship with anybody that works there.
My shifts are short and given the chance again, I would have just kept my mouth shut and waited for him to mess up again and be sacked for reasons that had nothing to do with me. But I didn't and now it's a bit of a mess.

On a plus side, a new chef was there being trained up today, and he seemed lovely. Very quiet and didnt try to stab anybody

Do they know your relationship with the boss? If they don't now they will at some point because these things have a habit of becoming known.

Personally I would stick with my convictions without being obvious. He sounds awful (stabbed someone? Did I read that right?) and I'm going to presume your boss had enough kitchen experience to know where the line is. If I noticed an atmosphere I would probably start looking else where but have usually found my opinion of people is generally shared so wouldn't be too worried.

The other chef will have to get over it. It's a shame he feels like he's lost a friend but why should everyone else be living on their nerves because an unprofessional chef got sacked for being an unprofessional chef? I suspect that in time you'll see people being happier and commenting on the change.

1. If he was on his final warning at least one other person must have complained about him

1. If you're really worried about it, ask your boss/friend not say it was you (which it sounds like has happened anyway).

It'll all blow over soon enough and he sounds horrible.

He was a massive prick, after being warned about being a massive prick. Hope the new guy works out and it all blows over.

That kind of info should never be repeated. Tbh even if it does come out I would think people would thank you.

You're keeping quiet while someone else is blamed?

You say you're putting your big girl pants on but this would mean being honest.

You have 2 options, in my (professional) opinion.

Come clean and ride it out and hope that people see sense and like the new guy.

Come clean and leave.

Hoping you stay anonymous won't work.

The F&B industry is unlike any other.

@Cornettoninja
Yes the other staff do know that her son and my son are friends. We are not good friends or anything like that. I only got to know her, and whose mum she was, when I started the job (her son works there too). Our kids are both in their teens and "do their own thing" so it's not often I meet the parents.
When I told her about the chef, I was only picking up my son from her house, so it's not like I go running to her about work or sit on the phone to her complaining, although I can see other staff members may think that that is the case while this all goes on.

He was a dick who got what he deserved. I wouldn't give him a second thought.

No one will be mad at you for “dobbing”, don’t be so ridiculous bootlegging!

I worked in pubs for years and have come across many arsehole chefs like this, your colleagues will be glad he’s gone and thank you!

The man was a bully. Was everyone going to wait till he actually injured someone before actually telling the management his behaviour has worsened?

I'd own it. You didn't get him sacked. He got himself sacked.

Can't the boss just say that she sacked him off her own bat without any indication that it was based on information from anyone? After all, for all they know it's based on complaints from customers.

You don't seem to know for sure that your comments caused him to get sacked.Perhaps someone else complained.
However, if I were you, I'd be concerned that the other staff's loyalty may lie with him. They may think that you've only been there 6 weeks and have already used your friendship with the boss to get someone else sacked. That's not going to endear you to your colleagues. Unless, of course, they all thought the chef was insufferable as you did.
Be prepared that they might not have shared your opinion about him.

@19lottie82

The OP has already shown you to be wrong.

"The other chefs first words to my co-worker this morning were "Thanks for getting X sacked." He said it sarcastically and he wasn't happy"

Ah, the pseudo 'creative temperament type' aka the Marco Pierre White wannabe. I've come across a few of these over the years. They preen about being a 'Chef' but would fall to bits if they had to work in a proper, stuctured brigade environment.

If he was on his final warning already, and is the type that I think he is, it's highly likely he bullied and patronised the commis, wait staff and porters that's why they're nervous.