Why does Wal-Mart fire employees for really small things, like stealing a single sandwich?
by 
Egao No Genki
ANSWERS: 22
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Because theft of a sandwich is still theft. If someone can't be trusted with a $2 item, how can they be trusted with anything else? By only getting fired for stealing a sandwich, that individual is lucky. Many places will prosecute for such acts.
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Larger companies generally have more uniform policies regarding employee misbehavior because they have more liability (and more lawyers.) Firing someone for any and all thefts solves a problem for them, namely: Deciding what is a fireable offense, and what should be the corresponding punishment? And what happens if employee A is treated differently than employee B? It prevents one punished employee from making a legal claim that he was treated differently than another. In workplace law, equal treatment is a very prominent principle. Most suits are filed on the basis of some theory of unequal treatment among employees, including wrongful discharge suits. If the rules and penalties are clearly communicated when a person is hired, it's difficult to argue with the result if the employee breaks the rules!
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Because it's stealing and they don't want a thief? Just a guess.
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to keep a reputation
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Because a) stealing is against the law. If I were a store-owner I wouldn't want someone around who steals my stock - and someone who steals one thing is 'more likely' to steal another. Why, if I was such a large company with multi-millions, would I care about a sandwich? Because if every employee did it I would be bankrupt. b) If you were an employee, I assume you would stop a customer shop-lifting. What makes this any different? c) there are plenty of other people who are available and more honest or hard-working that could take that job.
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A thief is a thief is a thief is a thief is a thief............
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I agree that stealing is wrong and where ever I worked it was cause for dismissal with no recourse. That said, I have often read that Wal-Mart treats its employees abominably.
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Theft isn't a small thing. It is one of the leading problems for businesses whether it is from customers or employees. It's a matter of trust. How can you trust someone that steals from you. They are supposed to be on your side, work hard for you, part of your team. A teammate doesn't steal from you, no matter how small an item.
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Having worked at Wal-Mart, I can tell you not all employees are treated the same. We had an assistant manager that sexually harassed several employees at our store and it took them three years to get rid of him. They really didn't get rid of him, they just transferred him. Other employees were terminated for things that others said they did, even though many of us were there and knew it wasn't true. Our store manager also got busted for selling drugs from the back of the store and he was transferred too. And one other assistant manager used to have sex with one of the female employees in the cash office. It was caught on tape, and they did nothing.
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They believe in the scripture "he that is faithful in least is also faithful in what is much". A sandwich today, tomorrow a stereo system.
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it is a crime to steal a penny or a million pennies.
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It's their company so they get to make the rules. If you don't like it then work somewhere else I guess.
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Theft is theft
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Well stealing is stealing and if someone steals a sandwich they'll steal other things
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Theft is theft. It's dishonest, and who's to say that once the associate gets away with taking the sandwich they don't start taking other things too? Also, who's to say that it was their first time. Sure, it's a $4 sandwich, but it's the dishonesty involved. I wouldn't want someone stealing from my business, no matter how small it is. It all adds up.
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A small thing is being late returning from lunch, stealing ANYTHING is grounds for immediate termination in retail. You don't have a "right" to anything for free simply because you want it - even a single sandwich. Feel lucky that is their approach... some retailers have a policy where they let you steal, and document it with cameras, until you've stolen enough to be prosecuted as a felony... then they fire you and arrest you and you end up in jail... and court.
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Stealing is stealing as many people have already stated.
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Crimes of oppurtunity are indicative of "base character" and should be viewed as a red flag to anyone wishing to further employ or advance a person guilty of, to more sensitive positions.
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Stealing is stealing is stealing! Does not matter if its a sandwich or a million dollars the punishment should be the same! If someone stole from me I would fire them no problems at all.
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God fired Adam and Eve and all their offspring for stealing a single apple...
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Profits are everything to these greedy corporate bastards. Fight the power!
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Last I checked, theft was theft. A lie is a lie. Good policy in my opinion! Next time, bring a PBandJ!
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