MONEY MORAL DILEMMA. Should Vinnie chase the robbers?

Here's this week's hypothetical situation for you to cogitate on:
Should Vinnie chase the robbers?

Vinnie works in a department store sales assistant, serving customers and is paid the minimum wage. As he is tall and hard looking, his supervisor often gets him to work near the exit, in the hope that he'll put off potential shoplifters. One busy Saturday, a thief runs past him and out of the front door, with armfuls of expensive designer stripy shirts. His boss shouts, grab him, pin him down. He wants to help the store, as he likes his job. Should he chase the robbers?
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Comments

  • weegie.geek
    weegie.geek Posts: 3,432 Forumite
    No chance. I've helped tackle shoplifters myself, but there were something like three of us at the time. This was just over the river from the Gorbals, selling electronics, so there were plenty of shoplifters. I'd never do it by myself.

    I'm not getting stuck with a dirty syringe for minimum wage. Minimum wage = minimum effort. To be honest, I'd have to be getting paid considerably more than minimum wage to risk a one-on-one with a shoplifter.

    The department store obviously go for whatever's most profitable. A certain amount of stuff will get stolen. If employing security guards or installing security cameras would pay for itself, they'd go down that route. They haven't, so that's their lookout. Not the shelf stacker's.
    They say it's genetic, they say he can't help it, they say you can catch it - but sometimes you're born with it
  • gazzak_2
    gazzak_2 Posts: 473
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    No he shouldn't. Stores have security for that reason, and if they've failed in their duties then why should a poor shelf stacker on minimum wage be expected to pick up the pieces?

    What if Vinnie does take up the slack and chases the shoplifter. Have they provided him with a stab vest?
  • THFC
    THFC Posts: 49 Forumite
    Yes he should chase the robber if he wishes.

    Not because his boss expects him too or regardless of what you are paid.

    He could be seriously hurt on £6 an hour or £10 an hour, you don't know.

    But it's not Vinnies job to catch thieves.

    Too many people turn a blind eye or ignore wrong doing.

    But if Vinnie want's and feels obliged to pursue, then good on him.

    I myself detest crime, people who stand and do nothing to prevent it, and the courts who impose little sentences.

    That's society today unfortunately and i am not an old fuddy duddy, i just respect people and property and treat them how i expect to be treated.

    If i stole, i would expect to be punished, if not maybe i would think this is easy. Fact is i have more to lose by committing crime than i could ever gain and would never entertain the idea.
  • jeffk
    jeffk Posts: 18 Forumite
    No chance. Nothing to do with minimum wage or the store asking him to, but in this messed up world if he tackles and hurts the shoplifter he has every chance of getting arrested, prosecuted and then sued. :rolleyes:

    If it was something more serious where someone is in danger or getting attacked, then maybe helping outweighs the above risk, but for shoplifting...I think not.
    - Jeff K -
  • lamp
    lamp Posts: 57 Forumite
    It's not in his job description. He could be injured, or he could accidentally injure the culprit and get sued. On minimum wage I doubt he will have received training on how to handle such situations.

    If he chases the thief, it is because he is angered by the situation, not because his boss makes assumptions about him and expects him to follow his every whim
  • tallgirld
    tallgirld Posts: 484
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    His supervisor should chase after the thief or ask the company to employ security.

    He's on crap money and probably isnt wearing full protective body armour.

    His supervisor is taking the mick!!!
  • SRS
    SRS Posts: 2 Newbie
    Yes, he should! It should be nothing to do with the amount he gets paid. It's should be about a citizen's duty to society. Where on earth are we heading, if people just stand back and let criminals get away with acts like this, using the excuse that it's not 'their' job to do anything about it, or they don't 'get paid enough' to do anything about it? What does that teach others, especially our young people? Come on, wake up, smell the coffee! We all have a responsibility to shape our society and take it in the direction we want to go. That involves setting examples and upholding standards, doesn't it? Otherwise we will get the society we deserve. And it won't be pretty. Remember, a wiser man than me once observed that all it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing ...
  • jillmarie
    jillmarie Posts: 13 Forumite
    NO WAY. I once worked in a late night off licence and chased after a missing bottle of champagne. My manager went told me I was MAD and the police wanted to know what I would have done if they had pulled a knife. I was told in no uncertain terms that my life was worth more than a bottle of Moet. If Vinnie's manager thinks so little of him and his safty it''s time to say good bye.
  • n3phi1im
    n3phi1im Posts: 219
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    Vinnie should quit (taking an armfull of shirts with him too :D [joke] )and get a job as a security guard - he'd get paid more.
  • A.Jones
    A.Jones Posts: 508 Forumite
    Why should he? If the boss isn't running after the thief, then it does not matter that much to him. So why should other members of staff.
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