Home Depot employees fired for catching shoplifters

Home depot security is a joke .
just think how much money they are losing in stolen items. i feel bad for the poeple who lost there jobs.

P.s. , I hear the founder of home is from west virginia

I was a store manager. I never cared for very many of my staff. I still to this day, laugh at how any employee below a assistant store manager lives in poverty. I laugh that Home Depot pays people so little, yet profits so large. I laugh that the public speaks to someone on minimum wage for advice about renovations. I laugh that store managers are usually brought in from the top. You have a better chance of being a professional athlete thank to think you have a chance of raising through the ranks to become a store manager. Isnt going to happen even if you are an assistant store managers. I laugh I laugh I laugh

People who own stock in The Home Depot should be aware that this company does a lot of things that are not good for people. I am a current employee of the home depot but plan to leave soon. They regularly treat their employees poorly all in the name of profits. What they do not realize is that this is coming back to bite them. They are raising a generation of past employees that will never shop there again. In fact, I currently do not shop there but go to Lowe's for my houses needs. Stockholders who do their homework and find out what is going on in the grassroots, will soon find out that The Home Depot is despised much like Wal Mart is despised. Lying to and treating employees badly is coming back to haunt The Home Depot now considering the poor economy and the fact that Lowe's appeals more to homeowners that are staying in their current home longer.

I can honestly say that working in a store for almost 10 years now we have seen many changes. There used to be days where you could chase shoplifters, tackle them, apprehend, whatever it took to catch the thief. But, as I said, THINGS CHANGE. The policy CLEARLY states you could be terminated for doing this. There have been many instances in alot of retailers where people have been injured. I think what people need to realize is that these are not your everyday hard working people who are stealing from these stores. These are desperate, often drug addicted criminals who are stealing to "get their fix" with the return money. I know that while I may want to stop these people from taking my bonus out the door every day, it is not worth the phone call that my 2 year old son will not have his mommy coming home anymore cause a druggie shot her, stabbed her, or beat her to death over a lawnmower. You do not know what these criminals have in their vehicles and chasing after them (while it may have been brave) is STUPID. They could get to the trunk of their car and pull out ANYTHING to use as a weapon on you. Do I like the company I work for and want to protect it's assests? ABSOLUTELY. Is it worth losing my job for not following policy? NO. Would we all be saying the same if the 4 guys stole from HD which is another major company violation?? Of course not. Bottom line, FOLLOW THE RULES. They are in place for a reason. Oh, and someone call Lowe's and find out what their policy is. I GUARANTEE you it is the same!

1st of all Home Depot make all employees sign a sheet stating that only loss prevention associates can apprehend a shoplifter. Becuase these associates are not trained in loss prevention procedures and Home depot does not want someone who is not trained in the feild of apprehension of shoplifters to just go apprehending people for 2 reasons,Safety and the fact that if a associate goes and takes a customer down.... what if that customer acutally paid for it but did not want to show his reciept.. Then Home Depot would be liable for that stupid associate accusing someone of shoplifting. The 4 mens were not trained and signed a sheet in the orientation stating they would not approach a shoplifter. The only thing associates should be doing is providing customer service to the Shoplifters to deter them from doing anything. No merchandise is worth the life of a untrained sales associate!

I was fired this past Monday, 3 days before Christmas for my involvement with a shoplifter. I never left the store, nor did I apprehend. He was obviously high when I offered him customer service as we are trained with suspected shoplifters. He was seen stealing by a fellow employee. I was acting MOD as NO Managers or Assistant Managers were present that night. Per Company Policy they are supposed to be present, not just key carrying department heads as was the case. After running from the store, my shoplifter's minivan wouldn't start. I watched as he tried to flag down passers by in the parking lot. He could have carjacked someone and that's when I decided to call the police from the service desk phone. The 911 tapes will confirm what my concern was; not the shoplifter, but the trying to get help from motorists in our lot. The goods were recovered by the police, the man arrested on outstanding warrants. The next day he commit suicide in jail as he was facing up to 45 years for various charges.
As for signing policies after training, I can say that with all my training documents, I can find nothing that says I can not call the police. In fact just the opposite, I am to call when there is a danger. As for my firing, the reason given is that I can neither pursue nor apprehend a shop lifter. I did neither of these things. I called the police as an unstable man in our parking lot who also happened to be a shoplifter was trying to get help or rob someone of their car, life or child's life to get away from the scene of his crime. In Massachusetts or Vermont I would have possibly been fined for not calling the police. It's known as the Good Samaritan Act. Here in North Carolina I was fired for protecting the community, my fellow associates and my store.
Coincidently, 11 other well paid employees have been fired for nebulous reasons within the past 8 weeks. It's funny how an economic downturn only causes firings at Home Depot, where at other stores and corporations people get laid off.
There must be a something HD is doing to their employees here that is considered illegal.
As for me and my email list of friends, if HD does not rescind this decision of my firing, I will make it my goal over the next year or so to shed light on how much they really value their associates.
I'm sure cutting 32,000.00 from their bottom line will help them in the short term. However, that should not compare to all the bad press they can get from just one former employee. For now I hold my tongue. I doubt they'll do the right thing. They're not the company they used to be.

I have worked in home depots' for going on 10 years. The reason I haven't left is due to the economy, that's beside the fact. My point anyway is that Home Depot is one, no "the" worst employer I have ever worked for! The public come in do their thing and are out in say 20 minutes. they dont see all the BS that this company pulls. I could do alot of swearing here but I'm better than that. Those people that are in management aren't their because their smart (seen alot of stupid things) their are the prime example of what a "tool" is. People my advice is- go back to mom and pop stores, these big boxes are BAD! for the people that got fired- they may have been fired but they did the right thing any decent person would have done. They are better off without Home Depot. OK I will swear once- Home Depot go to hell!

I was recently fired from Home Depot after seven months. I was never late, called in once, and I always did my job. I was pulled in the back by the HR people and interrigated for 45 min on everything from employee relationships to policy violations. They were trying to get me to confess to something, but I was never told why I was back there in the first place. They fired about ten people that day (two week before we were supposed to get some bonus checks.) I was told that I could keep my job and I was not suppossed to talk about anything that we had talked about, even though the head cashiers already knew and were talking about it with other employees. I was taken to the back again two days later and fired for stealing a coke and that they had caught me on tape. I had a receipt and when I asked to see this tape of me stealing I a told to call the HR dept, who never called me back. Although I was labeled a thief I was still allowed to work the rest of my week out.

In May 2007, I decided to be employed by the Home Depot, within the first month I managed to have an incident where two black customers came into the tool rental, but before I even gave them my customer service I secured and enabled the alarm on the door, and as I was in the back the other customer aka his accomplice wanted to run out the store with about 2 pieces but, don't forget the door was enabled, so the guy looked at me and his other buddy was running away, I immediatly called on the PA, code Adam or something like that, and for half an hour no security no lost prevention. Until the manager Carmen came with LP, half an hour late she congradulated me on saving the store 3,600$, my point being I had accidents there where work loads were droped on me, by my supervisor, I had an accident at work which I have received no claim, and I have caught my supervisor stealing or pocketing the money, and the assisant manager was just shaking when he received my report, I was even told not to write reports anymore, but the thing is that I worked hard and still got nowhere, but there's allot of theft going on in the inside too, especially store 1903, and armitage and cicero, I even know a bar owner, I know several bar owners that were or have someone employed at Home Depot to steal for them, I
know a bar owner that ownes a bar in Chicago on Belmont and Central who got fired for stealing at Gurness.

I think the rule at home depot is stupid and if thats the case everybody should go ther and steal.

the one that did the fireing should be fired

As a Home Depot stock holder I cannot believe there is a policy that prevents employees from preventing losses at the store -- loss prevention employees on staff not withstanding. Home Depot just can't seem to get it right -- time for me to put my money to better use elsewhere. Someplace that does not mind employees "watching the store"

Wow I know all the shop lifters are doing to be doing business with Home Depot from now on...Its like taking candy from a baby. Hey maybe they could help them load it in their car so no one has to run
On eht other hand they are so scared of lawsuites of a mistaken acusation of a legitimate shopper they figure its better to let it go than to rely on employee evaluation of the situation.
Victoria Secret is the same way.

This policy went into effect last year after employees disregarded everyone safety to catch shop lifter, every HOME Depot Employee has been told numerous time during the 5 am monthly meeting.health and safety are not worth what one can carry with them , this aside it make the entire company liable fo physical abuse and this can be far most costly than anything else.

Home Depot's policy does not make sense. As a Home Depot stock shareholder, I suggest they change the policy - join the real world.

After serving his country in the Marine Corps for four years, my son was honorably discharged and attained a job at Home Depot, while taking night classes at Indian River Community College to finish his AS degree. He had been a stellar employee at Home Depot for over a year, when, frightfully similar to the other story in Oklahoma about the four Home Depot employees being fired for helping the police apprehend shoplifters, the same exact thing happened in Port Saint Lucie, Florida about a year ago. My son was in the parking lot eating his lunch in his car when 3 female cashiers/associates came running out of the store screaming at a shoplifter to stop. My son immediately intercepted the shoplifter and took him down, holding him for the police, the shoplifter was immediately arrested when the police arrived.

My son and the 3 other employees were immediately fired!! My son, Raymond Hull, and the 3 other employees just thought they were looking out for the interest of their screwed-up employer. He was so disgusted over the insult and injustice, that he caved in and rejoined the Marine Corps, where he was promptly promoted to a Corporal.

He was asked to change his MOS to Intelligence because of his high scores, and spent four months in training where he finished in the top 3 in his class, earning another commendation. He commented that he couldn't understand the logic in punishing loyal, honest employees of Home Depot, and was so upset that he didn't trust life outside the military. I personally think all of these fired employees ought to get together and file a class action lawsuit against Home Depot.

My son is now serving in Iraq, and is about to be promoted to a sergeant. He plans on finishing his BS degree to get a commission as an officer. He commented to me that Home Depot was afraid they would be sued by this scumbag criminal, and probably paid him off to avoid a lawsuit. He also said to me, "...if this is how it works in civilian life, being rewarded for being a criminal, and getting fired and having your family threatoned financially for being honorable and hard-working, I don't want anything to do with civilian life".

My son re-enlisted 3 days before his separation time would have expired and would have lost all previous time and rank. He first enlisted in the Marine Corps when he was 18, and is now married with two children and is currently 26 years old. He hopes to be a 2nd Lt. before he turns 30. If any of the other employees of Home Depot who were fired under similar circumstances want to contact me, my email is hull2963@bellsouth.net.

I think Home Depot should be held accountable for destroying the lives of their honest hard-working employees while protecting and rewarding criminal scum as in the almost identical scenarios in Midwest, Oklahoma and Port Saint Lucie, Florida; especially given the fact that the firing of the Home Depot employees was conveniently kept out of the local newspapers here in Florida.

Home Depot are total morons why have any security at all "have a nice day" only works in Dirty Harry movies.As a large stock holder may be now I can understand why their stock is so bad.Maybe its time to move on to a company with a real policy on security.

Unbelievable. I should consider free shopping at Home Depot in the future. Just the publicity from this one incident will significantly increase theft at their stores.

SERVICE TO GOOD CUSTOMERS AT HOME DEPOT HAS BEEN
BAD ENOUGH, BUT FIRING EMPLOYEES TRYING TO HELP
HOME DEPOT HAS REACHED A NEW LOW. AS A HOME
DEPOT STOCKHOLDER, I HOPE THEIR NEW CEO CAN
TURN THE COMPANY AROUND. THE CUSTOMER IS NOT
ALWAYS RIGHT, WHEN THEY TRY TO WALK OFF WITH
MERCHANDISE - FREE.

I work at a Home Depot. Not long ago an associate tried to stop a shoplifter in a store near mine. The crook left the store, got an axe from his car and returned swinging. The associate who tried to stop the criminal escalated the situation and put many other associates and customers in harms way. The amount of money stolen from Home Depot by shoplifters is so small compared to the cost of one injured person.