Professional advice needed please

Comms69

KatrinaWaves wrote: »

Okay so in that case all your daughter needs to say is

“I’m really sorry I’m not sure what the issue is. I bought this meat and this is the rub you get with the meat. Have I misunderstood the counter policy?”

Forget the search and it’s conduct. Forget the section manager not stopping him.

She needs to find out why this is an issue because on the face of it, there is no issue, but it depends whether you are getting the full story from your daughter as it doesn’t make any sense for this to be treated as theft.

Exactly this.

ReadingTim

It's as much of a big deal as she wants it to be:

Go in contrite and apologetic for an accidental misunderstanding of a policy relating to (essentially) a free sample of seasoning and I'm sure everything will be fine.

Go in all guns blazing about how she was treated, how they spoke to her, humiliated her, made her feel distraught, how dare they treat her like that etc, and they'll likely throw the book at her. Followed by a P45.

Her call.

Dox

Are you quite sure you are getting the full story from your daughter? It makes little sense: she bought meat while off duty, her partner gave her a spoonful of meat rub to go with it (given out free with the meat to shoppers), paid for the meat at the checkout and had a receipt to prove she had paid.

The store managers certainly wouldn't win prizes for diplomacy - the normal approach is to ask a customer to 'step aside for a word' or 'would you mind coming with me, please', so I can see why she's upset - but that upset shouldn't cloud her judgement over what happens next.

Reading between the lines (and possibly reading something which is a figment of my imagination), it does sound as if there may be suspicions on the part of management that she and her partner had some sort of collaboration going on to do something they shouldn't. Be that as it may, this episode doesn't seem to fall into that category if it is as set out by you.

homeworkgirl

She did apologise when they took her in the office and was polite and obviously upset. However they still told her she would be investigated. Also, by apologising, couldn't that be taken as an admission of guilt?

I have just heard that they are hoping to have the investigation today so will see what happens

KatrinaWaves

Saying sorry isn’t an admission of guilt always. Saying sorry is quite often a default reaction to the situation.

However what did she say sorry for? Sorry for having the meat rub? And if so, why did she say sorry and not ‘but I bought the meat for it?’

Again on the face of it it doesn’t make sense that they are investigating unless there is another facet of this story. Are you saying your daughter says she stands accused of stealing meat rub which she should have got for free as a customer? You see that doesn’t make sense.

TELLIT01

Just because an item is given free to customers, who are paying the full price for an item, it doesn't mean that staff are also automatically entitled to the same free item when they purchase at reduced cost. Without knowledge of the staff handbook it's impossible to say whether that is relevant here.
I don't think apologising will necessarily be taken as an admission of guilt. How many times have any of us been walking into and we've been the one who apologised? It's the way it is in our culture.
Hopefully the worst that will come out of this is a written warning as it does seem to have been done out of ignorance, assuming it does break the rules, rather than for any other reason. If it was done in front of the section manager it would be a pretty lame attempt at theft. It may be that the section manager saw something being handed over, but not exactly what. In that situation he/she did exactly the correct thing in reporting what they had seen and allowing others to investigate.

homeworkgirl

Hi Dox, I'm as sure as I can be that this is the correct version of events. The store has a reputation for mishandling staff issues at the bestof times. My daughter and her partner have worked over and above their obligations for this company, often giving free time to them. I don't think they will be anymore.

[Deleted User]

What a ridiculously over the top reaction to a supposed ' crime '.


Note to self - never work in a supermarket.

homeworkgirl

Hi Tellit01, the section manager had suggested to her partner that he put it in a bag to make it easy to transport it home. They don't think he was the person who reported it, though I do wonder. My daughter offered to stay behind last night to sort it out but they said she would have to wait until the investigation.

homeworkgirl

BBH123..thank you..I totally agree.