Fired clerk sues Circle K over its shoplifting policy

[SaltyTiger 8,664]

4 hours ago, Gowebb11 said:

They will settle. She was an 18 year employee and is 78 so she will almost certainly make more in a settlement than working there another year or two. I wish her and them well. I appreciate your perspective as well. 

With you. I feel she will be fine in the end. 

[gr82be 15,010]

Unfortunately I'd probably be right there with her. She's probably the one Circle K clerk that the owner could depend on to show up. Most are on their phone while ringing you up and not paying attention anyway. 

[Mikey 16,781]

20 hours ago, AUDub said:

The big box stores DGAF. They can easily absorb shrink losses and have factored them in for decades now. These policies and the rackets you bring up are not new at all. I worked retail for 6 years and that was 20 years ago. The policies were the same then that they are now.

Where it's really problematic is the small businesses.

So, 20 years ago we had gangs of rampaging thieves attacking stores and stealing everything they want? I don't think so.

20 years ago does not relate to the current situation. What was an oddity back then (shoplifting) has become common now and the frequency of such "raids" on stores, whether from single person strong arm robbery or the previously mentioned gang attacks appears to be increasing rapidly. Either we are a nation of laws or we are not. Something must be done to stop this. Sooner or later store employees will start to be murdered as part of the "fun". What then? How and when do these atrocities get stopped, because be stopped they must.

[AUDub 12,013]

45 minutes ago, Mikey said:

So, 20 years ago we had gangs of rampaging thieves attacking stores and stealing everything they want? I don't think so.

20 years ago does not relate to the current situation. What was an oddity back then (shoplifting) has become common now and the frequency of such "raids" on stores, whether from single person strong arm robbery or the previously mentioned gang attacks appears to be increasing rapidly. Either we are a nation of laws or we are not. Something must be done to stop this. Sooner or later store employees will start to be murdered as part of the "fun". What then? How and when do these atrocities get stopped, because be stopped they must.

Shoplifters were frequent at the Century Plaza Sears, and the policy amounted to "kill them with customer service." Notify LP then go badger them like you were a sales associate in desperate need of commision. I was in electronics as well, a frequent target.

You couldn't do anything to confront them or anything like that - anything of that nature was a fireable offense - but you could subtly make them aware that you were watching them like a hawk. Shoplifters were habitual thieves (unless they were kids most times) and they knew exactly when you were on to them.

The clever, experienced ones would just up and at jet the first sign we were on them. The kids or the inexperienced ones were the ones that generally got snagged. The inexperienced ones didn't know our policies or their rights. When Jerme, our resident 6'5 LP guy, initiated a confrontation, they'd comply when he said "you need to come with me" lol.

[Mikey 16,781]

22 hours ago, AUDub said:

Shoplifters were frequent at the Century Plaza Sears, and the policy amounted to "kill them with customer service." Notify LP then go badger them like you were a sales associate in desperate need of commision. I was in electronics as well, a frequent target.

You couldn't do anything to confront them or anything like that - anything of that nature was a fireable offense - but you could subtly make them aware that you were watching them like a hawk. Shoplifters were habitual thieves (unless they were kids most times) and they knew exactly when you were on to them.

The clever, experienced ones would just up and at jet the first sign we were on them. The kids or the inexperienced ones were the ones that generally got snagged. The inexperienced ones didn't know our policies or their rights. When Jerme, our resident 6'5 LP guy, initiated a confrontation, they'd comply when he said "you need to come with me" lol.

Don't you realize how different the scenario you describe from years past is from what's happening now? Currently, robbers are simply openly taking what they want and giving the finger to store employees. That's a world away from the shoplifting of past times. How many times did a gang of thieves attack your electronics dept and simply wipe the shelves clean? I don't think that happened back then.

[cole256 17,085]

Well basically that's what happened during prohibition time period.....America basically came to be by different groups of people taking what they wanted. Once groups of people took what they wanted they then wanted to make rules and laws for the people that took everything to be able to keep what they took.

[icanthearyou 4,468]

The more unequal a society, the more crime and violence that society will experience.  If you want a better society, you have to build it.  You have to promote living wages and, the dignity of work.

You cannot simply kill or, punish your way to a better world.

[TitanTiger 21,558]

I get why the policy is in place, but there's no damn way I'm firing an elderly woman who's worked for me for 18 years over that.  I'd give her a warning and explain to her why we have the policy, that we're insured, and her life and health is more important. than anything they steal.  I'd also invest in a more protective area for her to be in so some meth head can't just walk right behind the counter into her space because I do think some of her reaction was him walking into her personal space.

If she did it again after the warning, then she'd get fired.