Morrisons store manager says he was sacked for tackling shoplifter
A store manager at Morrisons says he was sacked for dealing with a “prolific” shoplifter despite having been affiliated with the company for almost three decades.
Sean Egan, 46, had 29 years of service at Morrisons’ Aldridge store near Walsall, but said “everything was taken away from him” after a single incident led to his dismissal in December.
She took to LinkedIn to share what happened in a post that went viral. He said: “Like many stores, we were faced with frequent thefts, especially during the busy Christmas period.
“In this case, the individual in question was a well-known prolific criminal in the area. I followed company policy, approached him calmly, offered assistance and escorted him from the store when needed.
“But as we approached the exit, I was spat at. That’s when I reacted. Not as a manager. As a human being. That second changed everything.”
At the disciplinary hearing, Mr Egan was told he would be dismissed for failing to comply with the company’s policy of deterrence and non-arrest.
The 46-year-old man said he was repeatedly spat at as he escorted the thief out of the store.
“I grabbed her arm to stop her from going into her bag to get something and an argument ensued,” she told the BBC.
Although we called the police to inform them of the burglar, an investigation was launched, subsequent disciplinary action was taken against Mr Egan and an appeal was lodged.
Mr Egan wrote: “Despite nearly three decades of loyalty, performance and commitment, including transforming a number of underperforming stores into some of the most profitable stores in the West Midlands, I have lost my job.”
Describing the significant impact this had on his personal and professional life, he said he still experiences the consequences every day as he has been unemployed for 4.5 months.
“I couldn’t buy Christmas gifts for my kids. I had a hard time keeping up with bills. I dealt with crippling anxiety and a real sense of worthlessness.”
MP Chris Philp expressed his support for Mr Egan. In a post on
“Retailers need to support their staff who stand up to criminals. I’m tired of criminals being allowed to do whatever they want and decent people like Sean being punished.”
In a statement, Morrisons said: “We continue to take extensive action to address the threat of theft or violence in our stores.
“The health and safety of all our colleagues and customers is of the utmost importance to Morrisons. We have very clear guidelines, procedures and controls that must be strictly followed to protect our colleagues and customers from the risk of harm.
“These include detailed procedures for handling incidents of theft, which are in place to protect both the colleague involved and surrounding colleagues and customers, and aim to calmly control the situation and reduce tension. “We will not ask our colleagues to put themselves at risk.
“As a responsible employer, our focus is on taking exactly the right action to ensure health and safety is protected at all times.”
