I'm angry with Waitrose

Yes they have near me - but lots of people are choosing the self service so the queue is no longer.

They've taken some of the tills away and put in self-service tills.

Our nearest waitrose still opens more tills if there is a queue.

X posts.
It took me ages to type so I hadn't seen yours LemonJam.

Yes, Waitrose should have a duty of care towards its employees and Mr Smith had (apparently) had a previous warning.

However, that duty of care, especially towards a partner who may be on the autistic spectrum as Terribull posted, should mean that they should have found him alternative employment in a non-customer facing role as I suggested earlier.

I still think they were heavy-handed in dealing with this, and it seems to be against their well-publicised description of how their staff are not just employees but partners, owners, with a voice in business decisions, etc etc.
www.jlpjobs.com/about-the-partnership/being-a-partner/

The "Partnership" has cut 3,800 jobs in a year and plans 11,000 more job cuts over the next five years. Well, 10,999 now Mr Smith has gone.
It really isn't worth the paper it's written on, or the space it takes up on the internet.

I must say the staff at our nearest Waitrose are lovely but they have made more tills self-service.

That is TerriBull I agree with you and that is likely.....

TerriBull 11.32.

If that is the case another reason for Waitrose to protect Smith. Waitrose of course has a legal duty of care for employees as enshrined in the Health and Safety at Work Act- hence why it has a policy in place for employees not to approach or apprehend shoplifters (unless a security guard that will be subject to their own specific job description and policy).

Anyone with autism is arguably more vulnerable and thus must necessarily follow the policy- as Smith admitted he was warned to do.

I think I may have read that the former employee is autistic. Possibly a facet of his personality, the dogged pursuit of the shoplifter against managerial advice maybe?

David49: 05.29.

I agree. I posted upthread it is open to Smith to lodge an appeal in an industrial tribunal if he feels he has been unfairly dismissed. He has nothing to lose in so doing. There is no limit to the financial damages awarded if an employee is successful.

It is highly improbable that Waitrose HR would support dismissal unless there were legal evidential grounds. However it is not legally able to publicly disclose information about Smith to defend its actions- it can merely state "all due process has been followed" which it has.

Waitrose would have been very careful about any unfair dismissal claims, it sounds like there were previous warnings or incidents

Labradora 18.03; "Yes I agree with that. They could have given him a formal warning surely. Waitrose could have issued a reminder on their confidential company intranet reminding employees not to tackle shoplifters for their own safety and on pain of disciplinary action"

Smith told the newspaper himself that Waitrose had previously warned him and he 'kicked himself' for reacting as he did'.

Labradora

Greenfinch

He may have been wrong but he does not deserve to be sacked.

Yes I agree with that.
They could have given him a formal warning surely.
Waitrose could have issued a reminder on their confidential company intranet reminding employees not to tackle shoplifters for their own safety and on pain of disciplinary action.
All this is horrible for communities and for the national psychological well being.
How did we get here ?

Do you know if he was on his second or third warning? I don't think this was made public either way, so it’s all conjecture.

StTrinians

I read this with disbelief. Surely the staff have to intervene, or the shoplifters will get away with it. What am I missing? So, yes, I will no longer go to Waitrose.

It's not just a Waitrose problem, all supermarket would have similar rules, if staff ignore the rules they can expect to be disciplined. Staff safety must come first.

Most of these thieves are not shoplifting because they can't afford food, they are doing it to sell to others to make money.
Schoolchildren are mostly doing it because they are bored and know they can get away with it.

I read this with disbelief. Surely the staff have to intervene, or the shoplifters will get away with it. What am I missing? So, yes, I will no longer go to Waitrose.

Greenfinch

He may have been wrong but he does not deserve to be sacked.

Yes I agree with that.
They could have given him a formal warning surely.
Waitrose could have issued a reminder on their confidential company intranet reminding employees not to tackle shoplifters for their own safety and on pain of disciplinary action.
All this is horrible for communities and for the national psychological well being.
How did we get here ?

Allira

Beechnut

Has anyone seen the cartoon that Matt has done ?

Just looked and found it on Facebook 😂

Some wit has commented:
"Shouldn't that be "steal a framed print etc."

I saw it on instagram and didn’t think to read any comments. 🙄

Beechnut

Has anyone seen the cartoon that Matt has done ?

Just looked and found it on Facebook 😂

Some wit has commented:
"Shouldn't that be "steal a framed print etc."

Has anyone seen the cartoon that Matt has done ?

NotSpaghetti

Allira I wasn't laughing at the situation but had noticed both people were jams!

I'm sorry that I found that a little amusing - I wasn't trying to irritate.

Oh, I missed that and misunderstood. Sorry!

Think I need to log off for a few days 😁

Allira I wasn't laughing at the situation but had noticed both people were jams!

I'm sorry that I found that a little amusing - I wasn't trying to irritate.

Allira 22.19: What is more important to you Galaxy the value of the goods or the safety of the staff and members of the public?

'That means, though, that we should, as a society, accept shoplifting as the norm. The possibility of someone carrying a knife as the norm. We should not".

Definition 'norm'-
1) " an accepted standard or way of behaving or doing things that most people agree with ( Cambridge dictionary)
2) a standard or achivement or behaviour that is required , desired or designated (Collins dictionary).

I repeat, no one has actually said that society should accept shoplifting as "the norm".

Absolutely agree Allira "shoplifting has become the norm" When they went soft on that in the US, steal up to a thousand dollars worth without fear of prosecution. Some businesses voted with their feet and shut up shop literally. Which just adds to the general going down hill some major cities have suffered.

NotSpaghetti

You really aren't the only one butterandjam
Some of us have probably just said "no point" by now.
Sometimes I just walk away.

Thank you - (and the other condiment)

Thanks LemonJam

I'm glad you all find it amusing.

However, hiding your head in the sand and laughing might be best as there is nothing we can do.

LemonJam

Allira 22.19.

Nobody has said society should accept shoplifting as 'the norm'. Sadly shoplifting does happen. Some shoplifters sadly may may be carrying weapons and some may become aggressive if confronted and challenged.

My post made a valid point.

Shoplifting has become the norm.
Supermarkets can carry the loss by passing it on to customers but owners of small shops may be struggling because it is not just one or two items being lifted, gangs will clear whole shelves and the shopkeepers and assistants are helpless and left in fear.

We should not be accepting this as the norm.

eazybee

For all the fine words, theft is being condoned, and the prospect of theft with violence recognised, by a leading retailer.
Honesty counts for nothing.

Honesty cannot be relied on that's why we have locks on our doors and security systems, to stop criminals we need to have finger prints and eye scans.
The professionals cannot be stopped, they will always find a way round any security, but you can stop the casual toerags.