Suspended from work - I've seen colleagues and customers what I have done

alyth

I've not long started working for a major supermarket, and I can say that every scam that goes on, happen in a store - not my store particularly, but I see rules and regulations broken every day. Stock being put aside for staff, staff giving their discount to friends and family, you name it it happens. My advice - if you ever get such a job - be whiter than white. Never do something just because others do it, because you are the one that is caught. In my store, people use the excuse that because managers do it then staff should do it too. Wrong - managers are there because they have earned and worked hard for whatever privileges they get.

In my particular store, if a till person serves a staff member we have to sign the receipt to say that we have served a staff member and get it counter-signed by the person next to you on the till. That covers everyone.

As wintermutt says there are a million people out there that can replace you, and believe me none of your co-workers will back you up. Whilst I love my job, I keep my nose very grinded to my till and do not get engaged in any of the politics that go on - and believe me they are worse than any office I have ever worked in!

Your mistake was doing what others people were doing - those people get away with it for a reason, whatever that reason is. You have to rise above it, do your job to the rules and your ability, and never ever think that you can't be sacked.

DCFC79

angelicmary85 wrote: »

My OH works for a a supermarket and they are not allowed to serve themselves or if they have to, another member of staff has to sign the reciept to say that the transaction was all above board.

Would there not be something like this in place in most supermarkets to prevent theft and if so, surely they'll take into account that you broke that rule too?

correct me if im wrong but isnt the issue concerning the OP to do with mis use of a loyalty card

snowqueen555

Retails a funny thing. When I worked there I often used to put on offers that were not supposed to be put on, like a customer comes with three books, and two of them say 3 for 2 but one of them isn't on the offer.

Sometimes I'd put the offer on of my own accord, and sometimes management told us to do it as well (anything not not make a customer angry). There seem to be a lot of instances in retail where you do things that you "shouldn't do".

In a similar way I know a lot of customers used to buy things and get the points and then refund them and in essence keep the points as they don't get taken off their card.

Our managers have done similar silly things e.g. store needs to give out vouchers to every customer and each vouchers get scanned so it is recorded. If we had a bad week where we didn't give much out one manager would scan a 1000 vouchers to bump up the score etc etc.

I don't miss it!

jumpycheese1

Wintermute wrote: »

I misread words, put letters or numbers in the wrong order, but I've dialed 9 on a phone instead of 1 or 0 because of it!

Please don't go on as this is an excuse, I have problems with these numbers too! Some elderly customers complain about the numbers not being clear enough. Though the numbers are nice and clear on manned tills. I have mentioned to a couple of supervisors in the past I find it difficult to read the screen sometimes due to the glare. All they have done is shrug their shoulders and said there's nothing that can be done. Not all of the checkout staff are trained on ss tills. On a few occassions I have been the only ss trained colleague working on checkouts.

I just had a look at the loyalty card t&cs.

If insufficient Points are available, or we suspect fraud or misconduct, Rewards may be refused or cancelled.

Points have no cash value.

My UR told me to look at the t&cs to see anything to do with fraud. I know I work for the supermarket - but the most the lc folk can do is to knock off the 180 points I have gained by doing this.

jumpycheese1

People have mentioned a neutral reference. Where should I get my neutral reference from?

Sequeena

When I was working (I worked in a supermarket too) some members of staff were sacked for taking food and not paying for it (they worked in the customer cafe).

I was there when they first got caught by the GM and their excuse was 'everyone else was doing it'.

The GM replied 'And if everyone else told you to jump off a cliff would you do that too?'

Hopefully you'll just get a stern word. We all make mistakes.

Sambucus_Nigra

Oh my word. What a thread.

In my humble opinion; either the OP has taken the p too much with regards these points and annoyed other staff who have 'dobbed her in'; or this is just an excuse to get rid.

All these excuses completely contradict each other!

And how on earth can we be led to believe that dyslexia has caused the OP to conveniently press the wrong number on occasion to bump up their points; I'll bet that the OP managed never to press zero....or 1; by mistake when they used several bags.


And colleagues resigning in protest; what a joke. It will never happen.

DCFC79

jumpycheese1 wrote: »

Please don't go on as this is an excuse, I have problems with these numbers too! Some elderly customers complain about the numbers not being clear enough. Though the numbers are nice and clear on manned tills. I have mentioned to a couple of supervisors in the past I find it difficult to read the screen sometimes due to the glare. All they have done is shrug their shoulders and said there's nothing that can be done. Not all of the checkout staff are trained on ss tills. On a few occassions I have been the only ss trained colleague working on checkouts.

did you mention about the glare to higher management ? eg your manager or deputy manager

yes not all staff are trained on the ss tills but there are ways round it like getting a colleague from a nearby store to do the training for others

you may have missed it jumpy but can you tell me how dyslexia affects you knowing what the number 6 is or number 9, wouldnt you recognise them by the way each number looks eg you couldnt confuse a 1 with a 4, its a genuine question as i dont have dyslexia

Jacey53

jumpycheese1 wrote: »

.

I just had a look at the loyalty card t&cs.

If insufficient Points are available, or we suspect fraud or misconduct, Rewards may be refused or cancelled.

Points have no cash value.

My UR told me to look at the t&cs to see anything to do with fraud. I know I work for the supermarket - but the most the lc folk can do is to knock off the 180 points I have gained by doing this.

No, no, no - those terms and conditions are not what is driving your employer.

It is fraud, it is theft, it is a breach of trust. It is a criminal offence.

What the administrators of the loyalty card scheme choose to do is the least of your worries.

Get your head out of the sand - you are in real trouble here and it could affect the rest of your life.

Everything that you have said here points to you having been knowingly dishonest. Any attempt to muddy the waters with dyslexia, eyesight etc will make things worse for you.

Listen to what you have been told here.

Admit it fully when you go to your hearing (and to the police if they are brought in. A full admission of guilt could result in a caution; police have no alternative but to charge an unadmitted offence and take it through the criminal justice system)

Accept it was wrong (you have no chance of keeping our job if you don't as they can't continue to employ someone who doesn't recognise right from wrong)

Apologise, beg, grovel - no excuses. You did something wrong, you were caught, you've learned your lesson, you won't do it again. Offer to work extra hours, do crap tasks, anything.

Then if you are lucky enough to come out of this without a criminal record, with or without a job, make damn sure you don't.

As for a "neutral reference" - it's not something you can shop for.

Whichever way you go, you'll be lucky to be deemed employable in most jobs. With the attitude you exhibit here you will make it worse.

ps - I haven't noticed any store folding in your absence - and I bet your friends are still going into work every day.
DOESN'T THIS TELL YOU ANYTHING?

Sorry to sound so aggresssive, but I am trying to break through the fog of complacency. I am very worried for you as I have been in your managers' position.

in_spired2

DCFC79 wrote: »

correct me if im wrong but isnt the issue concerning the OP to do with mis use of a loyalty card

not sure, OP did say earlier in post 77

They only flagged me up as I use my staff discount card at the same time.

but afaik hasn't mentioned if they were allowed to serve themselves with their staff card, so I don't know if it's relevant to the suspension.

OP, your comment "I just had a look at the loyalty card t&cs. ".... I wouldn't think that's relevant. What matters is your employer's policies and any terms on your employment contract surely?

OP, from reading, I don't know if you mean it to come across as it does, but to me it seems that your main gripe is that you got caught and it's unfair because (you believe) there are others doing the same who have not been caught. And you want to see if you can make it appear as a mistake due to the conditions you mentioned.

I don't know what will go on in the meeting to discuss it, but I would have thought that if the people there are at least half-decent, then they will be more sympathetic to your previous comment

I was wrong, I did wrong and regretted my wrong doings. I am totally ashamed of what I have done.

than listen to you trying to make excuses and getting your work colleagues in trouble.