'I was fired after this': Worker fired for missing work due to injury sustained from shoplifter

Author image for Brad Dickson
Brad Dickson • Managing Editor
Jun 12, 2023 12:00 PM EDT

You might think that being injured while trying to defend your company's property would get you a warm thanks and a pat on the back, at the very least… and definitely not a swift kick out the door. But chasing down someone who has nothing to lose is dangerous and not a risk worth taking—and (hopefully) not a risk your employer wants to take liability for. For that reason, most businesses often have rules about not engaging with shoplifters, thieves, and other criminals—even for security guards, who often serve as little more than a deterrent. 

So, if you choose to intervene and get injured in the process, you may very well find yourself out of a job for breaking policy as the company seeks to distance itself from liability. 

Bizarrely enough, this worker reports that they were fired for being unable to perform their work duties due to the injury they sustained while intervening with a shoplifter—no mention of policy against intervention. This feels like it has to be a major misstep on the part of the district manager or GM, who was probably reactively trying to get rid of the person tied to multiple problems.

Read on for the exchange between the district manager and worker, followed by some context regarding the situation from the worker and readers' comments.

Next, check out this worker who found out they were getting fired when they were accidentally cc'd into an email requesting removal of their access.

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    The following exchange occurred between the worker and their district manager

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    The employee shared this explanation about the situation on their post

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    The comments

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getting fired antiwork workplace-stories firing in-the-workplace jobs now hiring fired toxic-workplace workplace-story toxic toxic-boss employment-issues workplace toxic-work-environment
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