- Two former workers say they had been fired for allegedly breaking retailer coverage at a Lululemon retailer in Georgia.
- The ladies informed native retailers they had been fired two weeks after reporting a theft to police.
- Three individuals had been caught on video by one of many girls robbing the shop, and have been arrested.
Two former workers say they had been fired from a Georgia Lululemon retailer for allegedly breaking firm coverage after they referred to as the police to report a theft at their retailer.
Jennifer Ferguson and Rachel Rogers informed native retailers they reached out to authorities after a gaggle of robbers got here to their retailer in Peachtree Corners, regardless of firm coverage that claims workers mustn’t intervene in robberies.
“We did not actually really feel very protected or know what else to do,” Rogers informed native TV station 11Alive.
“We’re not purported to get in the way in which,” Ferguson informed the outlet. “You sort of clear path for no matter they are going to do. After which, after it is over, you scan a QR code. And that is that. We have been informed to not put it in any notes, as a result of that may scare different individuals. We’re not purported to name the police, not likely supposed to speak about it.”
Each girls mentioned they had been fired over a Zoom name with regional Lululemon officers who mentioned the corporate had a “zero tolerance coverage” relating to the incident, 11Alive reported. The previous workers mentioned they’re working by means of the best way to take care of the sudden firing financially, and hope Lululemon considers altering the coverage.
A Lululemon spokesperson informed Insider in an announcement that the protection and safety of its staffers and customers is a “high precedence” and the corporate has “insurance policies and protocols in place to uphold a protected setting.”
“We take thefts and vandalism very severely and our focus proper now could be supporting our educators, in addition to persevering with to collaborate with native companions and legislation enforcement,” the spokesperson mentioned.
Firm coverage shared with Insider additional signifies the ladies had been doubtless fired for recording and interacting with the robbers, fairly than for calling the police.
In video shared with the native media retailers and on social media, Ferguson and Rogers could be heard yelling on the robbers to cease and depart the shop. Native police confirmed to NBC Information that the three robbers seen within the video had been arrested and charged with felonies after bystanders reported a theft in an Atlanta suburb the subsequent day.
Rogers informed WSB-TV she believes the string of robberies are half of a bigger scheme involving returning stolen merchandise for money.
A lawyer representing a gaggle of shops in Massachusetts informed NBC Information that many firms have non-interference insurance policies in terms of robberies for worker security, and will discourage reporting incidents to the police for a wide range of causes.
“They do not wish to waste their time on what could also be an entry-level shoplifting concern after they might be doing one thing else as a result of then they don’t seem to be essentially going to be as fast to reply subsequent time after they do want somebody there,” Ryan Kearney informed NBC Information.