Sacked café staff hit out over £100 ‘hush money’

AnguS: Cottely sK&&el’s ‘K&srlt’ to solkels

EuroMillions winner Gillian Bayford has been accused of rubbing salt in the wounds of sacked Arbroath café workers.

Staff on zero-hours contracts have been offered a £100 goodwill payment and were told not to speak publicly about the payout.

Mrs Bayford and the busy café were thrust into the spotlight after it shut a fortnight ago due to “unforeseen circumstances” with 21 staff out of a job.

At the time the 43-year-old lottery winner said staff at the High Street tearoom would receive payouts following the sudden closure.

But furious employees have now slammed the deal as “an insult” and are planning legal action against their former boss.

One of the 21 café staff said: “Gillian obviously has no compassion in her at all. Losing my job was bad enough because I loved it – but this £100 offer is just making fools of us.”

The multi-millionaire asked workers to sign a confidentiality agreement as part of their zero-hours contract.

Most zero-hours contracts give staff “worker” status, so they are entitled to rest breaks, annual holiday, sick pay and national minimum wage.

In most cases they do not have “employee” status, which carries further rights such as entitlement to claim for unfair dismissal, maternity pay and leave and redundancy payments.

The letter said: “We understand you worked very hard for our company.

“You are not entitled to redundancy or notice due to being a casual worker.

“You may be entitled to a one-off payment of £100.”

There have been suggestions that Mrs Bayford may be intending to reopen the café when she returns from a planned Indian Ocean holiday.

A new Facebook page for Sugar and Spice is telling former customers the cafe may reopen “in the very near future”.

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