NYC (Union Square) Whole Foods fires worker over sandwich

[fozzie 41]

When I was going to college I worked in the shipping and receiving of a Target store. All the perishable seasonal candy or foods (Halloween, Valentine's, etc.) is marked down after the holiday passes. First by 25%...then by 50%...then by 75%. Whatever is left over after that (and it is quite a lot) got sent to the trash compactor to be rendered unedible. We were strictly forbidden from eating or taking any of it home as per company policy.

My problem with this, and I understand the policy and integrity issues, is that this food is still wasted!!! Inthis instance the staff are not pruposfully marking it discard because the policy in place prohibits them from benefiting. This food should be given to the homeless shelters after the store closes! Throw it away or give it to those who need it?. Not only does this make sense from a social conscience perspective but also from a business perspective. The good will generated by such a apractice would be huge.

HR would respond, "if it's good enough for you to eat, then it's good enough to sell"

Huh? These are perishable items, once they have not been sold at the end of the day then they can't sell them!!

Not according to them. They'll say, "well, if it's perishable and cannot be sold it would be a liability issue if something happens to you"

Right, I'm not suggesting they give them out next week with mold growing on them, or even the next day. However if they give it away that same evening, after they have closed then they are still within their 'sell by date'.

The idea of suing someone for trying to make a positive difference in the world sickens me and is the one thing I find hard to deal with in this country.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Their hands are probably tied by health codes.

But that's not really the point with the guy taking the food. He should have been aware of the policy to know that what he was doing was wrong - it says he was a long-term employee so he really should have had no excuse.

My guess is that this guy was one of those lax employees who took it upon himself to grant himself extra perks (on the basis of his years of service) that he wasn't technically entitled to.

Edited March 18, 2009 by Private Pike

[HAL 9000 96]

Back in my retail days at Circuit City all I had to do was ask if something destined for the trash was fixable and if I could take it. I never got a no, and I suspect that is something left to the discretion of each management team in such a case. Of course, it helps when your job description is in loss prevention...

Made some nice donations to people without printers. That was the usual type of merch that went to the trash.

[fozzie 41]

Their hands are probably tied by health codes.

But that's not really the point with the guy taking the food. He should have been aware of the policy to know that what he was doing was wrong - it says he was a long-term employee so he really should have had no excuse.

My guess is that this guy was one of those lax employees who took it upon himself to grant himself extra perks (on the basis of his years of service) that he wasn't technically entitled to.

I agree. A sandwich is not worth losing your job over.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Back in my retail days at Circuit City all I had to do was ask if something destined for the trash was fixable and if I could take it. I never got a no, and I suspect that is something left to the discretion of each management team in such a case. Of course, it helps when your job description is in loss prevention...

Made some nice donations to people without printers. That was the usual type of merch that went to the trash.

By the same token though - you get employees who don't ask and think they are entitled.

The wife is a bit of a nazi about these things, what with her job and all, but I can see her point.

Stealing is stealing and hourly retail employees (who don't have the world's greatest job security) should be concerned not only with what they do, but with how their actions are perceived.

[Niels Bohr 72]

Back in my retail days at Circuit City all I had to do was ask if something destined for the trash was fixable and if I could take it. I never got a no, and I suspect that is something left to the discretion of each management team in such a case. Of course, it helps when your job description is in loss prevention...

Made some nice donations to people without printers. That was the usual type of merch that went to the trash.

Most retail policy has the notes at the bottom of every page that would go something similar to this, "this policy is enforced by management using sound judgement....it is not intended to be used to intimidate employees....blah blah"

The clause that says sound judgment I'd expect it as management discretion.

[HAL 9000 96]

Back in my retail days at Circuit City all I had to do was ask if something destined for the trash was fixable and if I could take it. I never got a no, and I suspect that is something left to the discretion of each management team in such a case. Of course, it helps when your job description is in loss prevention...

Made some nice donations to people without printers. That was the usual type of merch that went to the trash.

By the same token though - you get employees who don't ask and think they are entitled.

The wife is a bit of a nazi about these things, what with her job and all, but I can see her point.

Stealing is stealing and hourly retail employees (who don't have the world's greatest job security) should be concerned not only with what they do, but with how their actions are perceived.

Ahhh... 80% of my job was finding those fellows. Internal theft is always a larger problem in retail than crackheads and meth junkies stealing games.

Fun yet sad times discovering associate X taking from the cookie jar without asking.

Back in my retail days at Circuit City all I had to do was ask if something destined for the trash was fixable and if I could take it. I never got a no, and I suspect that is something left to the discretion of each management team in such a case. Of course, it helps when your job description is in loss prevention...

Made some nice donations to people without printers. That was the usual type of merch that went to the trash.

Most retail policy has the notes at the bottom of every page that would go something similar to this, "this policy is enforced by management using sound judgement....it is not intended to be used to intimidate employees....blah blah"

The clause that says sound judgment I'd expect it as management discretion.

Yep.

[almaty 19]

whole foofs suxs...wild oats, ftw!

[Amby 490]

This is very common and why a lot of places won't donate food they're going to throw away to shelters unless they go through another company because of the liability placed on them if the person gets sick. Liability is a big thing. I went through a massive ordeal with throwing away food when I worked at a large catering company. They threw away thousands of dollars worth of food just because they didn't want to be liable if someone were to get sick.

[mkg265 2]

In New York there is a group of people called Freegans that eat only what stores throw away. I've seen them in the Whole Foods dumpster area at the Houston St. Whole Foods.

I think the supervisor should have told the guy that in this section of the store they can't eat old product. A warning is enough for a 2 year plus worker that has no past history of theft.

My friend works in the cheese section of the Union Square Whole Foods and she says the store has some problems with racism among the staff.

[fozzie 41]

In New York there is a group of people called Freegans that eat only what stores throw away. I've seen them in the Whole Foods dumpster area at the Houston St. Whole Foods.

I think the supervisor should have told the guy that in this section of the store they can't eat old product. A warning is enough for a 2 year plus worker that has no past history of theft.

My friend works in the cheese section of the Union Square Whole Foods and she says the store has some problems with racism among the staff.

Huh, they are all from minorities.

[Niels Bohr 72]

The supervisor was just covering his #######. It's probably a zero tolerance policy. One incident will lead to termination. No good deeds goes unpunished. If I known, I should've pocketed alot of things when I worked at Best Buy and Staples in the past. I worked 4 years at Staples since I was a freshman in high school. Got fired because I broke an ethical policy by bringing a customer's computer home to fix it. I was young, and have no experience in ethics in the workplace other than loss prevention.

If I should've known that no good deeds goes unpunished, I should've stolen lots of stuff from Staples because I know one day I'll get fired anyway.

[Danno 1,228]

Tuna can spoil rather quickly (as can other foods), I can just read another story where this employee got sick and is now suing the Company for allowing a policy to exist where uncontrolled food is eaten.

It's my opinion that these petty cases have no place in the court system.

I Have been fired unjustly too once upon a time, I just moved on.

Too many people think the Govt is going to right every wrong in life and the farther down this path we go the more Govt becomes the ruler over every corner of life.

Now if this employee could prove that this company fired him to rob him of his pension or something along this line, thats different but Jeez, this guy lost a sandwich-shop job.

If I owned a Sandwich shop I should be able to hire and fire who I want.

[fozzie 41]

Tuna can spoil rather quickly (as can other foods), I can just read another story where this employee got sick and is now suing the Company for allowing a policy to exist where uncontrolled food is eaten.

It's my opinion that these petty cases have no place in the court system.

I Have been fired unjustly too once upon a time, I just moved on.

Too many people think the Govt is going to right every wrong in life and the farther down this path we go the more Govt becomes the ruler over every corner of life.

Now if this employee could prove that this company fired him to rob him of his pension or something along this line, thats different but Jeez, this guy lost a sandwich-shop job.

If I owned a Sandwich shop I should be able to hire and fire who I want.

Pay peanuts, get monkeys

[meowmeowmeow 1]

that whole foods is a huge rip off anyways....way too expensive and annoying people work there.