Employees FIRED for catching shoplifters!

*POP QUIZ*

You're a hardworking individual that takes pride in your store and was even given an award for your outstanding contributions. You know store policies and procedures, and yet...along come 4 individuals that decide to steal store properties.

What do you do?

Think fast...the crooks are almost out the door now!

Well if you feel like a good samaritan, you might do what this fellow did HERE

Is this REALLY an unfair dismissal?

The employee knew about company procedures/policies.

Yet, even the police were thankful to this mans' efforts as they would have had a hard time trying to retrieve stolen goods!

Lovely Mickey Mouse racketeering outfit. Thoughts?

[edit on 6-6-2007 by TheDuckster]

Many stores have surviellance cameras in the parking lots as well as the stores themselves, there really is no need, if cameras are present, to chase them down.

My own store, which obviously I'm much more familiar with, carries insurance that covers various sorts of damage that might occur in the apprehension of a shoplifter, so if you tackle a 'lifter in the store, you're ok, they'd rather you didn't but ok.

But once you're out in the parking lot, the insurance quits. Too many things, most of them bad, can happen, and no insurance company is going to cover a parking lot. We are forbidden by company policy to chase down shoplifters once they leave the store, our cameras are just about top of the line and can get really, really good pictures. I myself follow just long enough to get a good look at him/her then let them go. As with all criminals, eventually they'll screw up and get caught.

As for dismissal? That was a bit harsh, but there might have been previous incidents that we're unaware of. But if chasing down a shoplifter was the only grounds then yeah, a bit harsh.

I believe the main reason these companies have these policies is if you (the worker) might be wrong. Imagine being accussed of shoplifting if you aren't. Imagine the humiliation. Now imagine the sue happy people of US and now you have policies that say "don't accuse or apprehend a shoplifter". At least that is what our store told me when I worked there.

That's true too, Griff. Though, depending upon the size of the store or chain, insurance liability is a major consideration. But yeah, the possibility of embarrassment is a factor too.

I worked at Homey D. Pot for a couple of months before getting fed up and quitting. It was a Mickey Mouse outfit with miscommunication and confusion in every aspect of the "Ladder-of-Command". The Store Managers didn't communicate with the Department Managers who couldn't communicate with the Associates, etc.
There was the aspect of "Multi-Tasking" which I have found to NEVER work just right. They abused the Multi-Tasking. Truely. I hated it.
Once, I watched a guy walking around touching and inspecting a bunch of stuff. Not product being sold, but, light switches, the roll-up doors and control boxes for company equipment. I approached him and asked if I could help or direct him to anything. He pulled out an ID that said Home Depot and said he was checking electrical. I left him to his buisness and went to the department Manager and related the story. He said "Thanks" and he went to investigate.
The next Sunday we had the bi-weekly store meeting and lo and behold, I got a patch because it WAS a test and I was the ONLY employee who approached him and asked what he was doing.
I was the only freaking Homey to stop this guy and say "What's up?"
He was all over that store and the Manager railed on for ten minutes on how come I was the only guy who stopped him.
I still believe it was the Multi-Tasking that kept employees from even noticing the guy. If you are not directly helping a customer, you are performing one of a list of tasks that need to be done before your shift is over.
There was only one actual security guard on site during any given shift.


I hated Home Depot.

Cuhail