Grocery worker fired for stopping shoplifter

[yizuman]

No good deed goes unpunished.

Yiz

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

One of the things that was drilled into my head, and gets drilled into every employee's head at our LP orientation, is that you absolutely, positively, DO NOT try to chase or apprehend a shoplifter unless and until LP asks you to.

LP has the cameras, they know what to look for, they know when to apprehend a suspect and when not to.

I know it sucks for the employee, but if the shoplifter were to be hit by a car or become injured somehow during the chase or apprehension, Whole Foods would be dragged into court, and the shoplifter probably would win when it came out that the employee was was taking it upon himself to chase a shoplifter when he didn't have the training or authority to do it. That's just part of the sue-happy world we live in

Although I do find it a bit strange that the manager, who may have the same authority as LP in these cases, asked him for his help and is now being fired for assisting.

[CanadaGirl]

Hmm.

But the company says he went too far and violated a policy that prohibits employees from physically touching a customer - even if that person is carrying a bag of stolen goods.

Technically, he didn't do that, since:

Definitions of customer on the Web:

* someone who pays for goods or services

[Rine]

I so agree Canadagirl...since when are shoplifters customers?

Sometimes, I hate the world we live in...when thieves can sue because of injuries they received because they were breaking the law. I can't say much more on this matter because I can get real riled up about it.

[Broomjockey]

I think the MANAGER should be the one getting fired. He shouted for help. The guy helped. The guy isn't trained in apprehension techniques, so he touched the shoplifter. If the manager hadn't called for help, the employee wouldn't have known anything was going on. The manager not only precipitated the act, but seemed to authorize it by making a blanket statement for help.

A lawyer would rightfully have a field day with this.

[marasbaras]

Whole Foods policy is clearly: let the shoplifters go. I know if I were an employee and read about this, that's what I'd do.

[CancelMyService]

Note to shoplifters: be sure to include Whole Foods in your future stealing plans.