This sackable offence began when Walmart workers noticed the suspect stick a netbook under his clothes. He was met at the exit by a loss-prevention coordinator who escorted him back to the loss-prevention room at the Walmart store in Utah where three more employees joined him.

When the shoplifter pulled out the netbook, he also pulled out his handgun.

“It’s cocked, guys,” the gun-wielding fellow reportedly told the workers. “Don’t make me do this.”

One of the employees was able to wrestle the gun from the suspect, who was then taken to the ground until police arrived.

Unfortunately for these four, Walmart company policy states that employees are not to engage armed suspects and they were all subsequently fired.

From KSL.com:

“She said, ‘You’re fired,’” [one employee] recalled, of the person brought in to let him go. “You’re being terminated for a violation of AP09.” AP09 is Walmart’s policy on dealing with shoplifters. A copy obtained by KSL shows employees are allowed to use “reasonable force” to limit movements of struggling suspects. If a weapon comes out, however, associates must “disengage” and “withdraw,” the policy states.The workers say they don’t know where they would have withdrawn to, with the door behind them closed in a small room and the man charging at them. They contend they had no other real option.

A rep for Walmart released the following statement:

We appreciate the intentions demonstrated by our associates in this situation, but the actions taken put their safety – and potentially the safety of our customers and other associates – in jeopardy. In their roles within the store, they were aware of our expectations regarding safety and, unfortunately, their actions have led to them no longer working for the company.

Last spring, an employee at a Walmart in Kansas was fired after being kicked and punched by a shoplifter. Not surprisingly, Walmart gave the exact same statement about that employee’s dismissal.

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1. Ask a colleague to accompany you to the consultation meetings which you will have with the company. You will not be able to remember or take notes on all that is said so have your friend do this for you.
2. You should think through the different outcomes and how you will react to what might be offered.
   For instance:
   1. Are you interested in taking a settlement and leaving?
   2. Or do you need to remain in work no matter what happens or what is offered?
   3. Are you willing to accept a reduction in terms, maybe fewer hours or a pay reduction and would this be short term only?
   4. Are you willing to go to an employment tribunal to make your case?

   You don’t need to make these decisions at the start of the consultation process but it helps if you keep them in mind.

3. There are generally three mistakes which your employer can make. You need to be aware of these and tailor your questions and responses accordingly.
   1. The most common mistake is to get the basic procedures wrong. There are strict rules governing the agenda and timing of meetings. If they are not met then this is factual and you will have a good basis to appeal.
   2. If your employer has to select the jobs placed at risk then the method used is always open to challenge. Traditionally a last in first out basis is used but this is no longer good enough on its own. Selection is a minefield for any employer to negotiate.
   3. Discrimination. This is generally where the large pay outs come from. If you are discriminated against in anyway then your potential claim becomes much bigger.
4. If the discussions fail to preserve your job and your employer confirms that you will be made redundant then you must appeal. If you do not do this then you cannot take your case against your employer to a tribunal.
5. There are basically two ways your employer will approach redundancies. All employers will seek to manage the risk of having to make a large payment awarded by a tribunal but there are two main approaches which you will come up against:
   1. Some employers will go to great lengths to minimise the risk. They will listen to everything you say, try to provide good answers and generally play it as straight as they can. This might give you the opportunity for an enhanced settlement or maybe a different job offer.
   2. Some employers will be very slack in their application of the rules. They know that unless you actually have the determination to take your case to a tribunal then anything which you say will have no strength. They will try to steam roller the process, allow too little time and then try to manage the consequences. Your chances of concessions are slight but if you persist the chances of a good award at tribunal can be higher.

Article written by Mike Holly. Mike lives and works in Northumberland and is currently looking at cottages in Alnwick.The views expressed in the article are his alone and are written as a general guide for employees facing redundancy.

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My fate was sealed from the beginning. One day, I had to transfer computers, so I emailed myself a file. Although I saved the file about every 5 minutes while working on it, I didn’t “Save As…” The next day, I concluded that the file was lost after a half hour of fruitless searching. I told myself not to panic, made up for the lost information, and assumed that all was right again in the work universe.

A word to the wise: never assume.

Two weeks in, I was told to call one of my supervisors for an unspecified reason (gulp.) While I thought this was a little strange, I told myself not to sweat it. To my surprise the call was to notify me that my company no longer wanted me to continue working. WHAT?

I was beyond mortified. What could I possibly have done to receive such a fate?! I was outraged, rejected, depressed, and disillusioned. But after exercising every possible coping strategy, I finally came to my senses. I realized that being “let go” was definitely for the best. Because it was still early in the game, I hadn’t formed any significant attachments to that job and wouldn’t even have to mention it in future employment applications. This experience would NOT destroy my self-esteem or my motivation to continue searching for fulfilling work. We all make mistakes (and some employers will be more forgiving than others), but what’s important is that you pick yourself up after every fall and keep moving forward.

J.Jacobs is a guest blogger for Pounding the Pavement and a writer on the subject of vocational schools for the Guide to Career Education.

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Here are five things to do if you get fired.

1.  Don’t Panic

Keep your emotions in check. If you left your previous job under a black cloud, yelling and screaming at the universe is not going to accomplish anything. Get it out of your system if you have to, but plant your feet firmly on the ground and get your brain working for you. Panicking accomplishes absolutely nothing except stressing out you and your loved ones. Take a step back and focus on the rest of the items on this list.

2. Know Where You Stand Legally

The first thing to do is to clearly understand why you were let go. Was it legal? Or did your boss simply have it in for you. If you were fired without a valid reason, you might want to consider legal action. However, if your termination was justified, then you need to know why. Did it have to do with your performance? Was it simply cost cutting? Find out. If it’s something you did, you can correct it before you start your next job.

3. Take Action

Moping may have its attractions but feeling sorry for yourself is counterproductive. Get moving. If you haven’t updated that CV, now’s the time. Get the paperwork in for any government assistance you are entitled to. Also take some time to think about your next career move. Do you want similar work or is it time to go in a new direction? Start checking the want ads right away. Use all of the resources that the 21st Century provides. Taking action will chase away the blue birds as you master your destiny.

4. Adjust Your Living Expenses

Start cutting back. Don’t go on living the way you’re used to with the idea that you’ll find a new job right away. You can’t count on that, but you can count on going broke if you don’t start pinching pennies. Living frugally for awhile has its benefits. Not only will your funds stretch longer, you’ll discover what you can live without. Sacrificing now will make that first pay check at your new job all the sweeter and you’ll savor going out and celebrating.

5. Keep the Cash Flow Flowing

If you’re someone who has been working a steady job for years, you may be convinced that bringing money in without a salary is impossible. It isn’t. Start selling things on eBay. Have a yard sale. See if that neighbor still wants that lawnmower he kept bugging you about. Haul your unwanted books to a second hand bookstore. Take a temporary part time job while you’re looking for work in your field. You won’t get rich, but you’ll keep some cash coming in.

This article was written by Andrew Salmon. He writes for LifeCover.ca: a life insurance website based in Vancouver, BC.

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Whilst he has exploited women, the usual line you hear is that he has hurt his family.  Not in this case, as she has said that “my man needs a massage”.  This response is completely different to the kind Vernon Kay received for texting filthy messages to 5 other women.  Cheating on Tess Daley – now that is a sackable offence!

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