Waiter Files Lawsuit Against Restaurant Claiming He Was Fired Because Of Nationality

A French waiter fired in 2016 from a restaurant in Vancouver, Canada, filed a lawsuit claiming he lost his job based on his nationality.

Guillaume Rey reportedly filed a discrimination lawsuit with the British Columbia's Human Rights Tribunal against the Milestones Restaurant where he worked as a server from October 2015 to August 2016.

In the complaint, Rey alleged that "he was being terminated because of his French culture," which "tends to be more direct and expressive," CBC News reported Saturday.

The restaurant, owned and operated by Cara Operations, refuted the allegation stating that Rey violated the company’s code of conduct with his behavior despite verbal and written warnings. The eatery said it terminated Rey for his "aggressive tone and nature" toward colleagues.

Rey worked as a "shift lead" where he often supervised other servers. He claimed that people often misinterpreted his demeanor, which he described as "direct, honest and professional."

The restaurant attempted to have the complaint thrown out but not B.C. Human Rights member Devyn Cousineau denied the request. According to Agence France-Presse, the representative decided that the motion would remain until officials determined the outcome of the case.

"Mr. Rey will have to explain what it is about his French heritage that would result in behavior that people misinterpret as a violation of workplace standards of acceptable conduct," Cousineau wrote in her decision.

French workers often experienced cultural differences while working in B.C., according to Julien Mainguy, the co-founder of B.C. Talents, a firm that helps workers find jobs in the country.

"The culture in Canada, it's a non-conflict culture, particularly in the professional area," Mainguy told the CBC. "Most of the French-speaking people from Europe, they tend to be very direct."

A 2012 poll had France ranked at the top as one of the rudest countries for travelers, CNN Travel reported. In 2013, the Paris Tour Board handed out "politeness manuals" as part of a campaign to improve the service industry and teach workers the importance of cultural differences.