Grounds for Termination?

Forums: Unions
Email this Topic • Print this Page

I walked into work today after 9 years only to hear my boss tell me I am under investigation. I am a manager at a grocery store (3rd from the top). He states that while there is no evidence of me taking something off the shelf, there is video of me walking from the Aisle a product is on, across the store and into our office to consume it. I argued that ive had a can of nuts that I bought at a liqour store the previous week sitting in the store, and had them on my person, went to the aisle to check out what we had to offere, and then headed to the office.

My job is union, so i cannot be termed just to get rid of someone like most jobs can. All I have is my word, possibly a sunsoaked receipt from the liqour store (since the sun and ticker tape do not clash, it turns blackish/grey making it hard to read). im not even sure if its the right receipt, they barely give them out when I buy things anyway

Basically my bosses argument is that I have to have a receipt for anything we could sell in the store. pens, chapsticks, etc. even if you've owned htem forever.

i think im screwed. its my word against circumstantial evidence. i elected to have a union rep present when i meet up with the loss prevention manager and they slam me.

opinions?

Topic Stats
Top Replies
Link to this Topic

Type: Question • Score: 0 • Views: 1,750 • Replies: 10

No top replies

@imfasterthanjew,

By all means, go with the union rep. Without a contract, you can be dismissed for any reason, or no reason, and I'm assuming you are in the US. I can't see anything resembling evidence, unless the contract specifically prohibits personally owned food in the store.

Say, where did you get those shoes you're wearing?

1 Reply

@roger,

Roger,

Thanks for your opinion on the matter. Being in a union they do not have the right to dismiss me like most "at will" states, so you're correct to assume that.

1 Reply

@imfasterthanjew,

being Union means that they have to work harder to get rid of you, which it seems that they are willing to do. I take it that at some point you pissed in the wrong guy's Cheerios???

0 Replies

@imfasterthanjew,

If your union and union rep are strong, you will have a good case. Especially if you can provide the empty tin proving it's not the same brand as what your store sells. Or the receipt, of course.

I worked in a supermarket for a time and they have the same rules. You need a receipt for everything.

But they can't do anything to you based on suspicion. Without proof, like a video of you taking the product, they cannot even give you a warning. No way. I was a union president and steward and there's not a chance I would have let that go on record.

As your steward, I would ask them to supply EVIDENCE. No evidence, no discipline. You could have brought a banana and walked through the produce dept while eating it. You shouldn't, of course, but if you had, they could argue you stole it, too. You gotta be more careful.

Be a bit more aware in future, eh?

1 Reply

@Mame,

Totally, it was ignorance and me being naive'. While I did nothing wrong, I know what it looks like, again however there is no one that says the saw me "remove the product from the shelf." The fact that I 3 empty cans in my car, one in my glove box and a few single serve bags of them in my car all expended should state to the nature of me having them on a regular basis. If thats the case i've been robbing them blind or getting them somewhere else. The receipt is all torn up from sun damage (heat sensitive paper) after leaving it in my car for the past week if its even the receipt for said product. So I gues its just my word, my own circumstantial evidence, and the same for them.

0 Replies

Geez - what heppened to getting a "warning"?

Is this your first time going up against these folks?

Sounds like they were watching you or building a case for firing you.

1 Reply

@sullyfish6,

Quote:

Sounds like they were watching you or building a case for firing you.

of course...I have worked in a union shop a lot of years, and I have seen it take up to two years for management to unload someone who was targeted, but management always gets their man in the end. No one can work a job and never screw-up, and when you do they've got you. The only people who are hard to get are those who have secrets on the company, those who know where the bodies are buried, but they always go down eventually as well.

Our poster is a dead man walking, they will get him.

1 Reply

@hawkeye10,

They still have to follow procedure and I doubt they'll even be able to give him a verbal warning if what he's said so far is the case.

However, a warning shot has been fired from the bow, so to speak.

2 Replies

@Mame,

Un huh. I wouldn't be expecting a long string of positive performance reviews.

0 Replies

@Mame,

normally a chain of documents showing poor performance or lack of rule following must be created. Thing is, management does not signal intent to eliminate unless they are serious and also believe that they will succeed. A record of management failure to get what they want gets in the way of herding the help.

0 Replies

Grounds for Termination?

Related Topics

Quick Links

My Account

able2know