Walmart Manager Fired for Trying to Stop Theft

[Keith B]

This one I agree with. It was stupid to go to this level.

A Florida Walmart assistant manager who jumped into the back of a beer thief's pickup truck and went on a 15-mile ride has been fired from his job.
Mike Dawson, a manager at a Titusville store, was fired following the wild ride that reached speeds of 90 miles per hour last week, WESH reported.

http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/Flor ... 43671.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[03Lightningrocks]

Yeah, that is pretty silly. Maybe it was the last six pack ever to be made. Then again, maybe not. Some fellers don't mess around about folks trying to steal a beer.

[txglock21]

I agree it was a stupid thing to do, but I still don't think he should have been fired for it. IMHO

[steveincowtown]

From a business standpoint, I have to agree with Walmart on this one. Having an employee do something like that creates a huge exposure for liability. Just the world we live in.

I once had to fire a guy at a retail store for adjusting the radio. When he was adjusting the radio his wedding ring got caught on a shelf and ripped part of his finger off. Company policy was that we only listened to piped in corporate radio. Unfortunately we were put in a position where we either had to admit liability and all the cost that came with it, or follow company policy. Not cool, but that is just the reality of today's world.

[tomtexan]

That asst. manager went above and beyond the call of duty for that beer rescue.

[03Lightningrocks]

That asst. manager went above and beyond the call of duty for that beer rescue.

I was waiting for the beer lovers to chime in. I have watched guys fall in the lake with a beer in their hands. They darned near drowned themselves keeping that beer above the water.

[Texsquatch]

Now the price of beer will be increased to pay for the armed guards in the beer aisle.

[bbobb]

A Walmart nametag is not a Batman license.

[drjoker]

But, didn't he accidentally had to jump in the pickup because he was afraid he was going to be run over?

To survive bein hit by a car, you jump on the car so that the cracking windshield will break the impact. In this case, the beer broke the impact. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1l8B8Fp ... ata_player

From a business standpoint, I have to agree with Walmart on this one. Having an employee do something like that creates a huge exposure for liability. Just the world we live in.

I once had to fire a guy at a retail store for adjusting the radio. When he was adjusting the radio his wedding ring got caught on a shelf and ripped part of his finger off. Company policy was that we only listened to piped in corporate radio. Unfortunately we were put in a position where we either had to admit liability and all the cost that came with it, or follow company policy. Not cool, but that is just the reality of today's world.

[Running Arrow Bill]

I agree. Was a stupid thing for employee to do! IMO it is NOT the duty of any employee of any business to play COP and "rescue" anything that is being stolen. That is what a company's insurance is for...when it applies. I'm not going to chase after any bad guy for my boss...go ahead...make my day and fire me!! LOL!

[steveincowtown]

But, didn't he accidentally had to jump in the pickup because he was afraid he was going to be run over?

To survive bein hit by a car, you jump on the car so that the cracking windshield will break the impact. In this case, the beer broke the impact. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1l8B8Fp ... ata_player

From a business standpoint, I have to agree with Walmart on this one. Having an employee do something like that creates a huge exposure for liability. Just the world we live in.

I once had to fire a guy at a retail store for adjusting the radio. When he was adjusting the radio his wedding ring got caught on a shelf and ripped part of his finger off. Company policy was that we only listened to piped in corporate radio. Unfortunately we were put in a position where we either had to admit liability and all the cost that came with it, or follow company policy. Not cool, but that is just the reality of today's world.

Fair enough point, but I would have fired him for following the customer out of the store. What happened after that was inconsequential. Nothing in Walmart is worth someone risking their life (except maybe Nutella, man that stuff is good).

[txglock21]

But, didn't he accidentally had to jump in the pickup because he was afraid he was going to be run over?

To survive bein hit by a car, you jump on the car so that the cracking windshield will break the impact. In this case, the beer broke the impact. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1l8B8Fp ... ata_player

From a business standpoint, I have to agree with Walmart on this one. Having an employee do something like that creates a huge exposure for liability. Just the world we live in.

I once had to fire a guy at a retail store for adjusting the radio. When he was adjusting the radio his wedding ring got caught on a shelf and ripped part of his finger off. Company policy was that we only listened to piped in corporate radio. Unfortunately we were put in a position where we either had to admit liability and all the cost that came with it, or follow company policy. Not cool, but that is just the reality of today's world.

Fair enough point, but I would have fired him for following the customer out of the store. What happened after that was inconsequential. Nothing in Walmart is worth someone risking their life (except maybe Nutella, man that stuff is good).

I see where you are coming from and again, I agree it was a stupid thing to do, but this is a perfect example of another thing wrong in this country. Nobody is willing to get "involved" in doing the right thing for fear of being sued, falsely arrested or in this case, being fired for trying to do what he believed was the right thing. Kinda like that video of people stepping over the dead or dying person at that store. This world is going crazy.

[GlockDude26]

[/quote] I see where you are coming from and again, I agree it was a stupid thing to do, but this is a perfect example of another thing wrong in this country. Nobody is willing to get "involved" in doing the right thing for fear of being sued, falsely arrested or in this case, being fired for trying to do what he believed was the right thing. Kinda like that video of people stepping over the dead or dying person at that store. This world is going crazy. [/quote]

now let me say in this case (literally) it's not worth going after it. But I fully agree with the second part about people being mechanically trained into being scared of their own shadow..... it's all part of the big plan

[steveincowtown]

I see where you are coming from and again, I agree it was a stupid thing to do, but this is a perfect example of another thing wrong in this country. Nobody is willing to get "involved" in doing the right thing for fear of being sued, falsely arrested or in this case, being fired for trying to do what he believed was the right thing. Kinda like that video of people stepping over the dead or dying person at that store. This world is going crazy.

The root of the problem (with the Walmart issue, not people stepping over dead people) is the lack of Tort Reform in the US. If I don't fire an employee for leaving the store after a suspected thief, than by default I am allowing it. If I am allowing it then I am taking responsibility for it. If I am taking responsibility for it I am assuming liability.

What if Walmart didn't fire this guy, and the next Manager that follows a customer out gets shot and killed. The family in turn sues Walmart for 5,000,000. People would be screaming "HOW CAN WALMART EXPECT THEIR EMPLOYEES TO RISK THEIR LIVES!!!"

In general people are afraid to help or in some cases receive help because of feared consequences.

During our last little ice storm in DFW I was running to the store and saw a police officer who had somehow managed to slide down a hill and get stuck against a curb. I hopped out of my truck and he immediately said that he wasn't allowed to let me pull him out. After a quick, and somewhat funny back and forth, I told him I wasn't going to pull him out then. I was however going to pull this tow strap and whatever it happened to grab hold of. He then said he felt like the tow strap would like to be towed to the top of the hill. I towed him to the top of the hill, unhooked and went about my day.

[Keith B]

I agree with steveincowtown. With all due respect to our illustrious forum owner, the problem we have is the legal system and the litigious society we have turned into. So many people have now put a price on life, and will find an unscrupulous lawyer that is willing to take a case, even if it is far fetched, and try to go after a major corporation to obtain monetary gain on a person who gets injured or killed, even if by their own stupidity. Liability is a valid thing, but it should not be so overarching that someone gets filthy rich if their family member joined the Darwin award club and met their demise by doing something super stupid.