I bet he was wearing a multicolored knit cap and had a goatee.
I would wonder what the proof is that the thief was a customer? Did he have a store receipt?
The shoplifter was NOT a customer. He clearly violated the ‘custom’ of the economic exchange of value for value. He was a thief.
Meanwhile, the real customers pay for this stupidity in the form of higher prices. Why would anyone shop there?
Now Now, we can’t be hurting shoplifters’ feelings. It’s all Bush’s fault that they’re poor and have to steal. If only the government gave them a safety net...
As much as I think this worker should not have lost his job, I still can’t help but wonder why someone would put his life on the line for such a job.
First, a thief is not a "customer". Second, the employee is with his legal rights to apprehend said thief. Third, this policy will have the expected effect - many employees will remember this incident and will ignore acts of theft. Why bother doing anything about it when the store policy grants higher status to the thief than to the employee?
The companany can't have it both ways.
It cannot have company management "yelling for help in stopping a shoplifter" and then firing the employee who responds to that request because the employee did not make the mental leap that the company would still consider a shoplifter a "customer".
Reform the legal system and make it so people in acts of crime can't sue and this too would go away.
Ah, Mr. Klotz, you will eat those words. Better learn a little about the political/PR side of your job. Firing an employee on Christmas Eve for being a good Samaritan, well....good luck with that.
Ya can't make this stuff up.
Wow, a story like this is enough to make an honest person consider shoplifting...
Fifteen or twenty other employers should be lined up to hire this responsible individual; I’ll bet he’s not out of work for long!
The manager should be fired for yelling. Yelling scares the customers and hurts my ears. He and the other employee should also be fired for cornering the shoplifter. Cornering someone is holding someone hostage. That scares people.
I know it's splitting hairs but any legal eagles out there know whether he's acting in the capacity of an "employee" when he had physical contact with the robber if he is clocked out and not being paid?
Technically, the way I see it is the guy wasn't on the clock and working - therefore, he didn't have to abide by the "no physical contact" rule.
However, if he wears a uniform and most likely did not change out of the uniform on his break, I reckon the company could say that by having the uniform on, he would be assumed to be an employee whether being paid or not.
Regardless, give the guy his job back for cryin' out loud.
But, then again, I just realized that the poor robber, by this time and with the help of a lawyer and probably family members and friends, is trying to figure out how to sue "Whole Foods".
What a tangled web we've allowed to be woven.
I'm getting cross-eyed just thinking of all the ramifications possible when one tries to stop crime.
And this shoplifter was a customer?
I’ve sent Ms Klotz an email stating that I won’t shop at whole foods again. I won’t post the email addy here, but I will say it’s very easy to find, if anybody cares to let them know what you think.
No details on the shoplifter, whom I expect belongs to an Accredited Victim Group...and touching an individual in that category is always grounds for termination so as to minimize bad MSM publicity. ;)