https://www.news.com.au/technology/online/social/supercheap-…
Aussies are threatening to boycott Supercheap Auto after a worker was stood down, even though many think he was in the right.
Do you think the Employees Actions were justified?
Supercheap Auto faces backlash after worker from viral video stood down
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I once caught a guy stealing calidad inks. I said you are the saddest, stupidest person I have ever caught. Why the #### did you steal these, cheap copies when you could have , stolen the more expensive genuine epson? On top of that the guy Was talking to our storeman 20 minutes earlier (who would have seen him on n our wall of shame.
He was a true ozbargainer
Stealing physically from store is almost old fashion and outdated, the ones that cause most damage and don't get caught easily are the scammers.
So is scumbag theifery (i think i made up a word, but you get it).
Ha that's what I thought! Always replace in pairs…
Sell it probably.
Not worth the risk of injury or legal repercussions. 20 plus years ago while working at a bottleshop I tackled a bloke shoplifting in hindsight pretty stupid for the minimum wage I was on back then.
I'd suggest that :-
- He had reasons to suspect that she was shoplifting.
- No employee worth their salt would witness shoplifting and do nothing.
- She escalated the situation. If she had just a baby in the pram, then she would have just shown the employee. I show my bags at Aldi all of the time.
- She was 'shoplifting to fill an order' - who steals a rotor?No employee worth their salt would witness shoplifting and do nothing.
unbelievably wrong
standard practice for any shop front employee is to let theieves walk
how much liability is going to occur if hands are laid, unlawful detention happens
also think about how stupid it is to lay your body on the line for what? $24 an hour???
Minimum wage is $21
I'm not risking myself for a faceless company that doesn't give a damm about me. If you want hard loss prevention, hire a security guard who is trained in confrontation.
There's a reason every JB HiFi has one.
Crime doesn't just impact the faceless company, it impacts the whole community.
I couldn't give two shits about the rotor she stole either, but that doesn't mean I want to see crime going unpunished.
Hat's off to this guy for having the balls to step in, we need more like him.
That security guard at the front of JB Hifi could be thinking the very same thing:
- I get paid $25/hr, why should I risk my health and safety over an iPhone?
- It's a faceless company and they're insured anyway, so why bother?
- The company doesn't care about me. I'm just a rent-a-cop.
So who is left to stop the thief? The police?
'You called me over some stolen blu-rays? Listen… I have better things to do with my day…'
All this adds up to very good news for your local thieves. Better hope they don't eye something you have.
Because that's literally the security guard's job? Duh.
@SuperbRanger: Security guard can’t do anything unless they actually witness you steal it, no power to detain based on claims made by others. They are a deterrent, no real power.
@[Deactivated]: That's not true at all. They can definitely search/arrest you if they suspect you committed a crime.
@SuperbRanger: Wrong. I was one, we can’t do anything unless we witness you commit a crime. We can escort you off the property if you do not consent to a search, but we cannot detain you unless we witness you commit a crime.
It's morally justified.
But legally, he probably went against the companies policies of not engaging physically with shoplifters because it's dangerous to the employee and opens the company up to a law suit from the scumbag.
If that woman claims injury, she just needs to go to the closest blood sucking lawyer who would happily take a case against a major company like SuperCheap and take their 70% cut from the payout.
He's better off accepting one of the hundreds of offers from other places now.
She doesnt even know what year it is. The offender won't be challenging. Agree the workplace rules were not followed. Thief is guilty in the court of 2gb, 3aw, 4bc but doesn't mean two wrongs make a right.
You are allowed to injure someone when preventing a crime as long as it is reasonable in the circumstances.
Some people don't want to live in a society full of thieving scum.
We need more brave people like this guy to step in. Give him a medal.
Name change imminent: Superweak Auto
SuperThief Auto?
Supercheap has insurance for theft. They would advise employees of this, so situations like this don't arise.
Guess who pays for the insurance? All the customers who do the right thing and pay for their purchases, and don't use babies as human shields.
If you don't see it, you don't see it.
People really treat being paid a low wage in a shitty retail job as if it's their own money walking out the door if something like this happens.
Get her description and call the cops if you're that certain a theft has occurred.CCTV is cheap. Going big on a system with good coverage in the aisles would give the Workforce a lot more confidence. Imagine watching all that inventory walk out the door. It must be massively irritating to watch ferals thieve from your workplace. I am sure it would be much easier then to lead Loss Prevention to the video time code with a description of the alleged thief. Let the more qualified LP team take it to the Cops.
If you let her walk I'm sure the likelihood of the cops catching her is low, and even then she'll just get a slap on the wrist. An employee should be allowed to confront a criminal without losing their job! One of the reasons people take justice into their own hands is because they can't trust our broken justice system.
but the employee shouldn't for their safety and the safety of others. Just the the person steal, and Supercheap will right it off, as they do all the time.
No they shouldn't - it's not an employee's job to do the job of security or police. It opens up a world of false accusations and lawsuits if you let employees play vigilante. Let the appropriate people do their jobs.
Let the appropriate people do their jobs.
and who is that exactly?
Meanwhile the evidence walks out of the door!
Great effort by the employee.
Shit go by Supercheap.We need theft to be stopped exactly like this, or else we'd be like California or New York state where the $200 theft is ignored thus makes petty theft rampant.
California and NY are both soft states.
The voters get what they deserve.
Agree!
Isn't it like 1000 in new york? Louis rossman did a video in a drugstore where everything is behind plexiglass due to roving criminal gangs raiding the shelves of everything, not just high value stuff.
Yep I think its $1000 in NY state, and $950 in California.
Shampoo!
https://www.timeout.com/chicago/things-to-do/why-walgreens-k…
I've worked in retail, and yes, I would. It's the principle of the matter.
You let one criminal get away with it and they'll tell all their mates and you'll get hit again and again until it becomes a real problem for the owner.
If you get Injured, who do you go to for medical bills?
@pogichinoy: Not the same. As it's not your duty to chase down the theif.
if company policy is to let the theif go, but you value principle and make your own decision to go against policy and put yourself/others at risk….@Ughhh: As mentioned earlier, it’s a moral choice.
You either do the right thing or you just do your job.
That’s what separates people at work.
@pogichinoy: Then your previous comment remains irrelevant.
The right thing to do is to follow company WHS policy (if reasonablly practicable) designed to ensure your safety as a worker, to prevent your above east coast injury lawyer situation.
@Ughhh: LOL no.
You asked who to go to for medical bills.
That and your moral choice on what is right are two different things.
Law and order on "soft issues" in this country is leading to stuff like this. Cops won't bother, even hired security can't touch you these days, staff can't/won't. No wonder some people will keep trying and it becomes more rampant … 'because they can'. Already with more serious crimes all people get these days is a slap on the wrist.
We are in the middle of a federal election; you can vote now.
Now is the time to make your point if you want anything to change.Take California as a great example of what not to do.. something like $800-900USD of theft of goods before the cops will even rock up. The videos of people stealing stuff over there are wild.
I wonder if anyone else walked out of the shop with their shoplifted items whilst this distraction was happening?
The amount of people who've not worked retail ITT this very obvious.
Also the amount of cowards unwilling to stand up to thieves is disappointing but this is what the face of Australia looks like now.
You pick a line between getting harmed vs getting the product back and making it known to the (usually regular) thief that it won't be tolerated.
I hope the guy takes up one of the offers that were put out to him from other similar auto stores nearby and goes and works for them.I find it strange, some people refer to the staff getting involved with the pram incase there is a baby etc, i think its more disturbing that there are mothers out there willing to use their baby / baby accessories in crimes and getaways. If there was a baby there and she really did care about her baby, you would take the blanket off and let the staff member see the stolen or lack thereof items. Instead of getting into a pulling match with the pram.
The 'news' article was about the employee, not about the alleged thief.
I didn't say the news article. I was talking about the story in general and the comments. How can anyone complain about a staff member "not caring " about the pram / possible baby and not complain about the mother not caring…
Because everyone knows the mother is a POS already. But the employee.. What if there was a baby inside and he tipped the pram over killing/injuring the baby? Million dollar pay out for the mother easy.
@SuperbRanger: My guess is that she is 'houso', and a repeat offender, and staff had a BOLO on her. Not to say that all housos are bad people.
@SuperbRanger: If the mother wasnt grabbing it trying to stop him search it then it wouldn't happen.
I don't think he was in the right, but neither do I think he deserved to be stood down. Perhaps counseled that he can't actually search someones property outside the store or agains their will, he should have called the police and collected as many details as possible.
Companies care about their bottom line, not our communities.
It should be illegal for a company to prohibit its worker from stopping a crime that they personally witness taking place.
Not saying any person should be required to stop a crime, but imho it is every persons right to act if they choose to do so.
Seriously? No.
For shoplifting in your employers store when they’ve told you not to? No.
For something more serious? Maybe. Boundaries are important.
If you are hired to perform a certain duty and told not to take certain actions, then any breach will result in an investigation or disciplinary action.
Take out the emotive reasoning around ‘shoplifter’ or his ‘heroic actions’.
I sent a contact form question asking how I can permanently close an delete my SCA account. Got an automated email back…"We are currently experiencing higher than expected contacts. Currently, we are responding to e-mails between 24 to 72 hours."
MY BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THE DIFF GOT ME BABY!!!!!!I think that it was an Aligrotor! Next time she will have a forklift, as she needs a transmission to fill an order!
Thieves are pretty brazen, and getting bolder. They know an employee on $25/hr at a chain store is not going to risk their health or safety in confronting a thief, so it's all systems go to rob the store.
The produces the obvious problem: if there's no security guard, and the police are 10 minutes away, what's stopping people helping themselves to anything they like in the store? Harsh language from the retail staff?
This woman is a low life for using her gender and alleged baby as a human shield. Whether or not there was a baby in there is beside the point: she's using the privilege of 'how dare you stop me, I have a baby!'
This is coming to a shop near Australia.
https://twitter.com/pollysbirdcage/status/152121047735470489…
That's why I didn't GAF about theft when I worked for coles , not my job to stop theft, if they were serious about it , there would be a security guard standing at the door.
Even security guards can't really do anything. They can ask to check bags but they can't touch you, they can escort you out but that's about it really.
Message that employer is sending to their workers: dont stand up for us and do the right thing! If you do, we'll fire you! Just be a lazy employee like everyone else in retail and stand there not giving a F.
I think the real issue is that employees shouldn't risk injuring themselves or the thief over a rotor that will probably cost them $12 once it's noticed in the loss insurance claim in a few months time. An injury could cost them thousands in legal fees and compensation.
100% totally get that
But, at the same time, standing someone down (unsure if paid or not paid) is basically penalising someone for 'doing the right thing'
Just watch Australia turn into somewhere like china, where you could fall down on the street dyeing and literally no one will stop to help you, for fear of being persecuted.
The right thing to do is to follow the company policy.
Many businesses have instance sackings for breaching WSH.
except it really wasn't the right thing to do. The right thing as far as the company is concerned is not to expose them to large potential lawsuits and liability claims. I still think he should have just gotten a warning, but he was sadly in the wrong and was taking a large legal risk he was not entitled to take on behalf of the company.
Message that employer is sending to their workers: dont stand up for us and do the right thing!
The message the employer is sending it WSH is more important than playing hero.
In that case, watch blatant thefts go thru the roof. I could walk into any retail store and simply walk out with an item, knowing full well staff will just standby and watch me.
Quite a few videos of it happening in the states, especially liquor stores
I could walk into any retail store and simply walk out with an item,
If you steal then that's on you.
@rektrading: Think you completely missed my point, but thats a majority of ozbargain members these days :)
I want to boycott news.com.au after their videos always take 30 seconds to load.
Their ads though? They always load up promptly, and at full-quality without stutter. It's odd how that works…
The guy should be given a promotion! time for armed security at the door of these stores and body cameras on workers! time to get tough on crime. and lock this scum up.
I think these days employees dont get rewarded for having good work ethics.
What a sad place the world has become
and the woman had the audacity to yell back FML
I hope someone actually offers this guy a job (with a pay rise for being a responsible employee)
Working at Woolies for over 10 years in a dodgy suburb. This was the most common method of shop lifting. They basically entered with an empty pram, filled it up and put a cover it and walked out. Who paid the price ??? The loyal and honest customers. Woolies never lost a penny.
what kind of demographics?
If i worked in retail and knew how little support I'd get from corporate drones you'd be able to back up a 6x4 trailer and fill it. Its not how I'd really like to deal with it, but corporate get what they ask for.
He should not have acted here. He doesn't realise it but people like this are acting as enablers for the rich, powerful and greedy
If we put the everyday person first and had all goods/services available for everyone people I doubt she would have to resort to actions like these.
All goods/services should be readily available for all but the problem is some people just can't afford day to day living anymore. Everyone is quick to judge but you don't know her current living situation and then we see people get crucified for trying their best to get by. It just isn't her fault. I blame the rich and elite for the direction society is headed.
How about we as a society start putting the billions first, not the billionaires.
Used to work in retail as a duty manager and this sort of thing was a regular occourance.
Told to just let them go and not bother as we aren't covered to do it.
Standing the guy down even if he was doing the wrong thing is poor form.
If they really had to do something to the poor guy it should have been training or a warning.
Will be voting with my wallet and never shopping at SCA again.Supercheap has their policies on what to do with shoplifters. But I suppose Aussies can vote with their feet as well
I have to go through a tedious multi-month process to fire a rude and incompetent employee at my workplace yet SCA can just instantly lay off a guy doing his job as one would expect?
The worker doesn't 👀 like a licenced security guard.
He could have been injured or, worse, killed and cost SCA a lot more than the value of the stolen goods.
A warning would have been sufficient and he should not have put himself in potential harm's way. Things may have turned out differently if it was an armed druggie in the store.
Perhaps he was stood down for breaching internal protocols around thefts.Cant understand why he was stood down even though he definitely SHOULDNT have done what he did - you are taught to let them leave. Who cares about the theft, just report it and move on. He should have been informed again about their policies (do not engage etc) and left it at that.
The lady was just trying to upgrade the brakes on the pram.
“You can have the f***ing rotor mate.”
Strange name for a baby, but I've heard worse.
I suspect she probably suffered from a mental illness. Cleptomania is real.