We previously followed the allegations that the popular Zhu Zhu Pets are toxic. Now, they can not only allegedly make you sick but make you jobless. Just ask David Lawrinowicz of Lancaster, Pa.
Lawrinowicz worked for Target for eight years before he was fired. He and other employees worked overnight at their Target unloading items. Before leaving for the day at 5 a.m. the next morning, he and six other employees lined up to buy a few of the plush hamsters each. He bought two. (Well, below the store limit of four per customer).
A few days later, Lawrinowicz was called into the human resources office and told employees were not allowed to purchase “popular items” until the store opens at 8 a.m. That would seem an appropriate response and he returned to work. However, two weeks later, all of the workers and their team leader were called in and fired pursuant to the company’s policy about buying “two-day ad items.” None of the employees ever saw a posting on the policy, though the store insisted it was posted.
Target seems unapologetic about offing a bunch of employees shortly before Christmas: “These guidelines are in place to provide our guests with the same purchasing opportunities as our team members. We are committed to making the items our guests want as available as possible to ensure a positive guest experience.” Ok, I get it, but how about a few steps between a warning and DEFCON 4?
[update: Target has reversed firings after public outcry, here]
For the full story, click here.
These employees have been rehired / unfired:
http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/story/900743.html
“Target has carefully reviewed the situation … and we have determined the team member terminations were the unintended consequences of a good policy rigidly applied.
“Therefore, Target intends to reinstate all seven of the team members, effective immediately,” a company news release stated.
They should have been tasered! That would have shown them!
Buddha Is Laughing
I’m running out of places to shop.
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LOL!!
Wow, Ginger, you have really hit on one of the biggest problems facing the nation today. I totally agree. Not only should Target fire their asses, they should be thrown in jail. So there.
Indeed.
It’s starting to look as if Mr. Cheney, er, Potter has killed Clarence and eaten the corpse.
Marie,
This is not Bedford Falls and George Bailey never existed. This is Potterville and Clarence never got his wings…..
OK OK OK so employees buying “hot” items (even only two of them) isn’t a great idea and the employees should be punished if this is clearly against company policy. But isn’t firing them (especially a few days before Christmas) rather, well, drastic? Stealing is likewise wrong, but does that make the disciplinary methods of countries where thieves’ hands are cut off right?
I think what Ginger fails to appreciate is that a large part of the “public” happens to be employees at these shitholes, and that to an average member of the public, not finding a Zhu Zhu mouse would matter far less than having to work for a living in a country where working standards are so poor that employees are fired when they buy Zhu Zhu mice.
It isn’t a matter of one’s head being on straight- it’s more about being able to hold more than one thought in your head.
Ginger,
It’s HAPPY HOLIDAYS. H-A-P-P-Y H-O-L-I-D-A-Y-S.
See if you can say it out loud…. There, it’s not hard, is it?
“Merry Christmas” makes you sound like a moron.
I actually feel they should be fired. As far as I was aware it is against most top department stores to allow their employees to shop on non-open hours. I for one show up at 8:00 to get hot items. It makes me angry to know that these items were bought by employees before the store even opened. I think Target should take a vote on the employees being able to keep their job or get fired. It is 20 miles to my closest Target store. Then for people to think these employees should take it to court and sue Target. That’s what is wrong with the world today. Get your heads on straight and have a Merry Christmas. For our economy I hope some of you peoples thought process improves. Working with the public is for the public not the employee. I also think Target should track what is being done with these Zhu Zhu pets, if they are being resold then Target should definitely take a stand to the benefit of the general public.
Patrick raises the idea that these zero tolerance policies may become routine in the industry. I’m no expert, but that wouldn’t surprise me.
What would happen if Black Friday “limited quantity” doorbusters were routinely purchased by employees before the doors opened? The government would probably accuse them of false advertising.
What if Ticketmaster employees had the power to hold the very hottest tickets for themselves?
Casinos often have house rules that forbid gaming employees from gambling at all, even on their personal time.
Financial service firms often forbid employees from participating in IPO’s, reserving these shares instead for regular clients.
I’m with Puzzling. I’ve talked with Target employees who routinely buy hot items and sell them on the side. I’m not a big fan of Zero Tolerance policies, but it wouldn’t surprise me to learn Target has one now. They especially seem to have acquired a reputation for this. Most likely, Gamestop is even more draconian, as their employees don’t seem to do this stuff.
And this is what forty plus years of anti-union propaganda and legislation has wrought.
The Target employees will get nowhere if they try to remedy this in court. I don’t know what the law in Pennsylvania is but in my state anti-labor laws on the books give employers nearly carte blanche for dismissal.
In a union-shop the employees might have gotten a letter of warning at worst.
I am also sure Mr. Lawrinowicz’s eight years of seniority also weighed in Target management’s decision.
For a few years there I wondered why there were no Nintendo Wii consoles and Tickle-Me-Elmo’s in the stores and yet hundreds on Craigslist and eBay for a 50% markup. Now I know.
I’m running out of places to shop.
I’m with you AY.
Target’s response to this situation is a little Wal-Mart like for my taste. I hope these employees have a recourse under Pennsylvania law. I would love to see evidence of the alleged “posting” of the notice concerning employee purchases.
In my last comment, the second sentence should have been:
I think it would be asking a lot of an employee who got off work at 5:00 am to return at 8:00 am to purchase something FROM the store.
Can’t employees be considered customers too if they purchase goods from Target? I think it would be asking a lot of an employee who got off work at 5:00 am to return at 8:00 am to purchase something for the store.
WOW! Target must be doing very badly as a retailer to pull a stunt like that. Does the manual say any employee engaged in this activity will be fired? I hope a lawyer takes up their cause. If I were an investor in Target, I’d consider pulling my money. If they’re that desperate to get rid of people, it would tell me they aren’t doing well financially or at least I should look into the real health/viability of this company.
And to think that Yoo and Bybee kept employment after proving to be liars.