Walmart Employee Fired After Trying To Stop A Shoplifter
Here’s a sad story from Wichita, KS: A Walmart customer service manager noticed a man walking out of the store with a computer. She stopped him to ask for his receipt after the alarm went off and got punched and kicked for her trouble. After that, she got fired.
From Kansas.com:
The next day, about two hours before her shift was over, [the woman] says an assistant manager asked to speak with her. He then told her it’s against Wal-Mart policy for anyone but a manager or someone in asset protection to try and stop a customer from stealing.
“He said there’s really no gray area,” [the woman] says. “It just goes straight to termination.”
She was told to turn in her badges and keys.
“I was in shock at first,” [the woman] says. “I didn’t think anything like this would happen.”
Nor did she know about the policy, [the woman] says.
“I’ve never heard of it.”
Walmart says they’re sorry but policy is policy.
“While we appreciate her intentions, [the employee’s] actions put her safety — and perhaps the safety of our customers — in jeopardy and, in the process, violated company policy as it pertains to how we treat people in our stores. As an unfortunate result of these circumstances, [she] is no longer employed by our company.”
She told the Wichita Eagle that she would be filing for unemployment and looking for another job — hopefully not in retail.
Wal-Mart employee foils a shoplifter — and loses her job [Kansas]
Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.