One Stop shop worker sacked after trying to tackle suspected shoplifter | Supermarkets
A convenience store worker was fired for trying to interfere with a woman he suspected of stealing bacon.
Eileen Fox said the suspected shoplifter was “well-known” in Bootle, Merseyside, and claimed he had been shoplifting for years.
The 56-year-old man explained in his social media post that he “grabbed his jacket sleeve and hit a metal coffee table during the fight.” He added that there were no injuries in the incident.
Fox was reportedly called to an investigative meeting with senior executives at One Stop and was dismissed the next day.
Although his behavior was “completely out of character,” Fox announced that he had been terminated from his job two weeks later, on May 11.
“What message does this send to thieves? Come in, help yourself, the staff in the store can’t touch you because then they will be punished while you escape with impunity,” he asked.
It is the latest example of the retailer disciplining its staff at a time when shoplifting and theft are on the rise even in more remote parts of the UK.
Waitrose has been criticized after sacking a 17-year employee who stopped a thief looting a display of Lindt Gold Bunny Easter eggs. The retailer faced public backlash over its treatment of Walker Smith, who was fired two days after stopping the shoplifter from taking items.
Morrisons also faces backlash after sacking store manager Sean Egan, 46He said Egan was sacked after tackling a man who became aggressive and repeatedly shoplifted as he was being escorted out of the supermarket at the Aldridge store near Walsall, where he had worked for 29 years.
A letter from One Stop, seen by the BBC, says Fox “followed” the thief and then “grabbed him and slammed him into a metal stand”.
Fox said that this letter exaggerates his actions because he did not follow the thief, but approached the woman who was taking items from the shelf and grabbed the woman’s arm.
A spokesperson for One Stop said: “The safety of our customers and colleagues is our absolute priority and our stores should be a safe place to work and shop.
“We ask our colleagues to never risk their own safety and we provide clear training to all colleagues on how best to respond to any incident.
“This training includes ongoing investment in extra security measures, as well as working closely with the police to do everything we can to prevent incidents in our stores.”
