Just need to vent
20 year career with a major retailer. Had solid career momentum. Living decently well. Never have any issues at the job. I believe I was a good manager who treated people fairly and always went to bat for them when they deserved more. Also, just had my best year, performance wise, ever.
Back in December, as I was getting a receipt validated by security for a drink I purchased, he noticed someone possibly about to walk out with product without paying. I start moving to the side of the exit to make myself visible and just convince the guy to not bother. Not here to be a hero or get someone arrested. Just trying to deter. Have my drink in my hand.
The shoplifter, quite unexpectedly, charges at me. I’m able to turn around quickly enough and brace myself before finally separating. Security grabs the guy and I, in a moment of instinct, grab the security wrap on the item. The shoplifter pushes into me again and punches me in the face. I don’t let go of the product but I just keep saying “just drop it and leave” hoping to end the chaos. Shoplifter lets go, runs back into the store, grabs more product and tries to run out with it. I just get on the phone with 911 as security struggles with the guy. He leaves without product while I’m still on phone.
Today, I get fired because “as a leader” I “acted recklessly”. I got charged, punched in the face and fired. I’m in at At Will state, so my career is gone and now I need to find something else quickly so I can continue to pay the mortgage and rest of the bills a normal family has.
I know people say corporations don’t care about their employees, but I’m just incredibly devastated. I was a damn good employee and it’s all gone because some jerkoff charged at me and corporate refuses to see any nuance in the event.
They violated company policy. probably.
The item- in fact all of the loss caused by shoplifting- is far less than it’s worth putting employees in that position. That shoplifter could have had a gun, or a carton knife or screwdriver or some other kind of weapon, and sent OP into the hospital, racking up the medical bills. there is a reason most retailers policy is “Don’t [do exactly what OP did]”
And that’s assuming the guy attacks an employee. Imagine the expense if a patron gets knifed with a rusty, AIDS-infected shank. or shot.
for most retailers, the only people that are supposed to engage (and, yes, that includes positioning yourself as a “deterence”) are Loss Prevention teams. and even then, they’re probably just going to let it go rather than risk a confrontation with shoppers near by. They’re going to call the cops and let them take the liability.
I worked (briefly) as an unarmed security guard many years ago. It was company policy to never, never, ever touch a person unless we felt our life was in danger. We were there to document only. Security is just a less reliable camera with a mouth.
I’m a manager for contract security, and yeah, the mantra for unarmed guards is “Document and Report”. But also, the rule of the day is constructive cowardice.
even the guards equiped with firearms… that firearm is mostly there because their position is deemed to be that hazardous, if that makes sense.
Frankly I’ve not met someone who’s worked in retail in the last 15 years who’s said they had a different policy. Even a cart full of shit is cheaper to pay for than the potential lawsuits from an employee getting hurt from trying to intervene.
Beyond that though, please don’t put your life at risk for your employers merchandise. It is not yours. Your store carries insurance for a reason. Your life is not worth any of that shit.
absolutely. Especially because, it’s not (written) company policy… they can and absolutely will try to say it’s your fault and weasel out of the expenses.
Well, without knowing, your explanation (at least to me) is not a “why this happened so it’s more understandable” but a description of the problem. Whatever the “policy” of the business, a “heat of the moment” action or one slip-up should never be allowed to lead to a cancellation in my decidedly German union member mind. Especially not after years of employment.
This could have lead to some citation or training or something, but not a cancellation.
If businesses lack those.laws, companies are never required to really train their ppl, because they can just hire and fire, expecting the knowledge they want to already be there.
Ish on the deter by being there. I can’t speak for all companies but the major one I work for would have you act as just a visible deterance by just standing there. The grabbing the cable and stuff would be what would be “to far”
Deterrence happens before somebody decides to do something.
It certainly doesn’t happen as the dude is walking out with a case of whatever it was. Moving to block somebody’s path is generally considered an escalation; and that’s exactly how the shoplifter saw the action.
“maintaining a presence” to “deter criminal activity” only works if they’ve not already decided to conduct that criminal activity.