sometimes doing the right thing...(long)

[Beerlight 0]

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‘All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing’

[Conundrum 1]

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You recently posted about how seriously your unemployment was affecting your life. A few months prior to that you posted you had major issues on another job you just started.

What is the world is driving you that you would create another major ethical issue (over essentially nothing), three days into a job you evidently very much need??????

Rightly or wrongly, I'm betting the HR director is thinking "damn, this new employee is gonna be a pain in the ass. On her third day at work she's sitting in my office with some tiny piece of bullshit that nobody cares about that she has rooted out ...so now I have to take more time to deal with it now that she has brought it to me."

Pretty much.

[ladyskydiver 0]

*shaking head*

I just love (<--used with the most extreme sarcasm available) that people are bitching about someone standing up for what's right. The cashier essentially stole money. It doesn't matter that the guy told the cashier to throw it away. The policy is that gift cards get filed away and accounted for...not "'eh...take what the customer didn't use. Use it yourself and then do what you're supposed to."

And we wonder why our world is so fucked up now-a-days. Maybe if more people actually grew a set of balls and stood up for what's right, there'd be less issues.

Life is short! Break the rules! Forgive quickly! Kiss slowly! Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably. And never regret anything that made you smile.

[JustChuteMeNow 0]

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just love (<--used with the most extreme sarcasm available) that people are bitching about someone standing up for what's right. The cashier essentially stole money. It doesn't matter that the guy told the cashier to throw it away. The policy is that gift cards get filed away and accounted for...not "'eh...take what the customer didn't use. Use it yourself and then do what you're supposed to."

People should stand up for what they believe in and the majority of the posts offer that type of encouragement. However, I am puzzled by the statement that it doesn't matter that the person threw away the gift card. If the employee retrieved the same gift card from a garbage can outside of the store versus inside the store I don't see a lot of difference. I am assuming that the card was thrown away on purpose and not lost or misplaced. To me once a person decides something is trash and another person retrieves something from the trash because of some percieved value then the statement one man's trash is another man's treasure certainly applies. This would apply to a magazine, newspaper, couch, or a gift card.

I will start by saying I respect your opinion. I guess I just don't understand why it would be considered theft. FWIW I have never worked in a retail store and so I have never dealt with policies on retail gift cards but I have been an HR director and I do understand how policies very rarely cover every single aspect of every situation. There is some black and white but often there are gray areas.

Think of how stupid the average person is and realize that statistically half of them are stupider than that.

[moodyskydiver 0]

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You recently posted about how seriously your unemployment was affecting your life. A few months prior to that you posted you had major issues on another job you just started.

What is the world is driving you that you would create another major ethical issue (over essentially nothing), three days into a job you evidently very much need??????

Rightly or wrongly, I'm betting the HR director is thinking "damn, this new employee is gonna be a pain in the ass. On her third day at work she's sitting in my office with some tiny piece of bullshit that nobody cares about that she has rooted out ...so now I have to take more time to deal with it now that she has brought it to me."

You're right.I do need a job.But I was looking when I found the last and this one too and I can find another if needs be.I won't apologize for my own morals regardless of how petty they may seem.

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The cashier essentially stole money. It doesn't matter that the guy told the cashier to throw it away. The policy is that gift cards get filed away and accounted for...not "'eh...take what the customer didn't use. Use it yourself and then do what you're supposed to."

Thats exactly why I went to HR rather than the management first.I wanted to know what the policy said about such vague areas.It was not with the intention of being a snitch.She asked why and who had done something to make me ask such a question and I just said "someone on my shift".The HR is the one who said it was "stealing" and wanted to make the big deal about it coming to her attention...not me.

"...just an earthbound misfit, I."

[Zenister 0]

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It's not the same, it was taken without consent

The guy said it was trash. Does a person need consent to take trash?

YES!!

actually, no they do not...

'waste not want not'

tbh the company got their money(and fair profit based on the value of goods sold vs their actual cost) when the card was paid for initially.. they COUNT on a certain percentage not being used at all to create additional (unwarranted as no service is provided) profit.

I agree with the observation about the HR manager as well... this isnt 'evil' and it isn't theft it is trivial.

Standing up for your beliefs is admirable. However some 'beliefs' need to be reevaluated from time to time.... this is one of them..

who do you believe gets 'better moral value' out of that 'credit' that the company has already made its initial profit from? the cashier (working the same low end, low paying job as you with bills to pay) or the Corp shareholders???

there is no contest imo.

____________________________________
Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

[Shell666 0]

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just love (<--used with the most extreme sarcasm available) that people are bitching about someone standing up for what's right. The cashier essentially stole money. It doesn't matter that the guy told the cashier to throw it away. The policy is that gift cards get filed away and accounted for...not "'eh...take what the customer didn't use. Use it yourself and then do what you're supposed to."

People should stand up for what they believe in and the majority of the posts offer that type of encouragement. However, I am puzzled by the statement that it doesn't matter that the person threw away the gift card. If the employee retrieved the same gift card from a garbage can outside of the store versus inside the store I don't see a lot of difference. I am assuming that the card was thrown away on purpose and not lost or misplaced. To me once a person decides something is trash and another person retrieves something from the trash because of some percieved value then the statement one man's trash is another man's treasure certainly applies. This would apply to a magazine, newspaper, couch, or a gift card.

I will start by saying I respect your opinion. I guess I just don't understand why it would be considered theft. FWIW I have never worked in a retail store and so I have never dealt with policies on retail gift cards but I have been an HR director and I do understand how policies very rarely cover every single aspect of every situation. There is some black and white but often there are gray areas.

There's a big difference between retrieving a store's gift card from the trash and taking one while you're working at that store, regardless of the amount left on the card.

Like a few other replies, I can't believe that some of you are "okay" with her keeping it. Theft is theft. No matter what the amount is.

If the policy of the store that you're working at is that the cards are to be accounted for then destroyed, then that's the policy.

'Shell

[Zenister 0]

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There's a big difference between retrieving a store's gift card from the trash and taking one while you're working at that store, regardless of the amount left on the card.

Like a few other replies, I can't believe that some of you are "okay" with her keeping it. Theft is theft. No matter what the amount is.

If the policy of the store that you're working at is that the cards are to be accounted for then destroyed, then that's the policy.

well lets split this hair then..

the customer said 'throw it away'. It is his property until he disposes of it.. if the store policy is 'turn it in' EVEN after the customer has clearly stated 'trash it' and taking an item from the trash is 'theft' then it is 'theft' either way...

i suppose the idea that the corp is 'stealing it' vs the cashier 'stealing it' makes it more palatable? or is it the fact the corp is reclaiming 'additional value' (by denying anyone use of the credit after the corp has already collected profit. btw..Ebay is killing this 'unearned profit' as prior to such a resale service a very high % of gift cards went completely unused) for goods they will not provide (by destroying the card without giving any goods in exchange for it) makes it better?

I prefer the larger view.. who's quality of life is most affected here? the corp shareholders or the cashier's?

____________________________________
Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

[Squeak 17]

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There's a big difference between retrieving a store's gift card from the trash and taking one while you're working at that store, regardless of the amount left on the card.

Like a few other replies, I can't believe that some of you are "okay" with her keeping it. Theft is theft. No matter what the amount is.

If the policy of the store that you're working at is that the cards are to be accounted for then destroyed, then that's the policy.

well lets split this hair then..

the customer said 'throw it away'. It is his property until he disposes of it.. if the store policy is 'turn it in' EVEN after the customer has clearly stated 'trash it' and taking an item from the trash is 'theft' then it is 'theft' either way...

i suppose the idea that the corp is 'stealing it' vs the cashier 'stealing it' makes it more palatable? or is it the fact the corp is reclaiming 'additional value' (by denying anyone use of the credit after the corp has already collected profit. btw..Ebay is killing this 'unearned profit' as prior to such a resale service a very high % of gift cards went completely unused) for goods they will not provide (by destroying the card without giving any goods in exchange for it) makes it better?

I prefer the larger view.. who's quality of life is most affected here? the corp shareholders or the cashier's?

Whilst the trash bin and it's contents are on store property it is still owned buy the store, you can not go about on someones property and take stuff out of bins, regardless of them geing trash bins.

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[popsjumper 2]

I can't believe all you guys are running this into the ground with misdirection. You read Skymama's post. You read Ladydyver's post. You read Shell's post.

What is all this crap about trash vs non-trash? Trash cans, homeless...etc.
Typical BS trying to justify thievery.

All those "what ifs"....sheez


The girl knew it was wrong to take the card.
The OP did the right thing.

If some of you would get off your ass and do the right thing we would have a better world.

Screw the HR rep that thinks "making me deal with little crap". That's the job. Deal with it or move along.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[Squeak 17]

yup Stealing is stealing, she knew it was wrong when she did it, that's why she did it covertly

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[ladyskydiver 0]

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You recently posted about how seriously your unemployment was affecting your life. A few months prior to that you posted you had major issues on another job you just started.

What is the world is driving you that you would create another major ethical issue (over essentially nothing), three days into a job you evidently very much need??????

Rightly or wrongly, I'm betting the HR director is thinking "damn, this new employee is gonna be a pain in the ass. On her third day at work she's sitting in my office with some tiny piece of bullshit that nobody cares about that she has rooted out ...so now I have to take more time to deal with it now that she has brought it to me."

You're right.I do need a job.But I was looking when I found the last and this one too and I can find another if needs be.I won't apologize for my own morals regardless of how petty they may seem.

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The cashier essentially stole money. It doesn't matter that the guy told the cashier to throw it away. The policy is that gift cards get filed away and accounted for...not "'eh...take what the customer didn't use. Use it yourself and then do what you're supposed to."

Thats exactly why I went to HR rather than the management first.I wanted to know what the policy said about such vague areas.It was not with the intention of being a snitch.She asked why and who had done something to make me ask such a question and I just said "someone on my shift".The HR is the one who said it was "stealing" and wanted to make the big deal about it coming to her attention...not me.

psstt...Amber...just for clarification....I did not post the first quoted segment.

Life is short! Break the rules! Forgive quickly! Kiss slowly! Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably. And never regret anything that made you smile.

[mr2mk1g 10]

What you witnessed isn't in a particularly grey area legally speaking.

Under English law it was theft. If you take something for yourself out of a rubbish bin, you steal it. If you take something for yourself you've essentially agreed to put in the bin, you steal it.

Ignorance of the law is no defence. If the person did what you say they did, they committed a criminal offence.

Some people may have different views on the morals of what they did – but legally speaking their actions were pretty clear-cut.

[moodyskydiver 0]

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psstt...Amber...just for clarification....I did not post the first quoted segment

I know and apologize for making it sound like you did.I just was trying to kill 2 replies with one post.Thank you for your post though.

"...just an earthbound misfit, I."

[mnealtx 0]

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Typical BS trying to justify thievery.

All those "what ifs"....sheez


The girl knew it was wrong to take the card.
The OP did the right thing.

If some of you would get off your ass and do the right thing we would have a better world.

QFT

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[TequilaGirl 0]

Since you are a cashier at a "big corporate company" seems to me that you should have been made aware of the company policy regarding gift cards before being able to operate a cash register...did your "trainer" know the policy....pretty ridiculous you had to go to HR to find out something you should have already known...I suggest you read up on the all company polices - it would be a pity if you happened to violate one.

[Royd 0]

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It's not the same, it was taken without consent

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The guy said it was trash. Does a person need consent to take trash?

I've seen big stores destroy items that had slight damage and throw it in the dumpster because they'd rather have a customer spending money.

[JustChuteMeNow 0]

This will be my last post here on this subject because while I respect other opinions it seems some people can't offer the same courtesy. At no point do I say my opinion is right or that I know and understand the laws. I form an opinion based on knowledge that I think is correct. If I am wrong, I look on it as a learning experience.

Listed below is some precedence set for gargabe by the supreme court for the US. Other countires may have different laws.

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1988 United States Supreme Court case, California v. Greenwood, which involved a man who argued that the police had violated his rights by searching his garbagewithout a warrant.

“The Supreme Court ruled that the garbage was public property even though it was on his property”

I recognize that I may still be incorrect.
Last but not least KUDOS to squeak for trying to answer my question by providing a useful argument and not just shouting the longest and the loudest.

Think of how stupid the average person is and realize that statistically half of them are stupider than that.

[jenfly00 0]

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You recently posted about how seriously your unemployment was affecting your life. A few months prior to that you posted you had major issues on another job you just started.

What is the world is driving you that you would create another major ethical issue (over essentially nothing), three days into a job you evidently very much need??????

Rightly or wrongly, I'm betting the HR director is thinking "damn, this new employee is gonna be a pain in the ass. On her third day at work she's sitting in my office with some tiny piece of bullshit that nobody cares about that she has rooted out ...so now I have to take more time to deal with it now that she has brought it to me."

That's the best response yet to this thread.

‘All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing’
Stop the small thing the bigger things tend to be less



Amber always work from your own level of personal integrity, without that you have very little left

As a member of my Neighborhood Watch, I heard my next door neighbor state that he got a good deal on the beautiful white picket fence he just had put in. Zoning restricts fences to 36" ...his is 40. I better do the right thing and turn him in. It's the small things, ya know.

Another town ordinance states that you cannot put your trash can out to be collected more than 24 hours in advance. Pickup is 0800 Fridays and I definitely saw him putting his trash out at 0630 thursday as he was leaving town for a long weekend. We must stop these scofflaws before civizilization comes to an end.

Speed limit in my town is 25 mph, I seen some people screaming through at what must be 28-30!!! Take down their tag numbers and report them to the police????

My neighbor put up a tool nice looking aluminum tool shed ...didn't get a permit. Turn him in????

I see an fellow employee take packets of sugar from the cafeteria and bring them back to her department for coffee. Call the police? Go to HR. My god, if I let this go, where will it stop?

Sometimes it's doing the right thing and sometimes it controlling emotional problems before they destroy you.

It's about perspective, balance and ...employability.

...or were you just once again galloping to the rescue of a damsel in distress to win favor? It's hard to tell sometimes. If so, just ignore my above reply and good luck.

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"O brave new world that has such people in it".

[Squeak 17]

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[reply
...or were you just once again galloping to the rescue of a damsel in distress to win favor? It's hard to tell sometimes. If so, just ignore my above reply and good luck.

Do you lead a reasonably sad exsistance? I only ask because it would seem that way from my angle of view

My reply was in response to people questioning Ambers morality and weighing it up against what they consider to be a small thing. I highly doubt you are in any position to question Mine Ambers or anyone elses moral code. but hey it cost nothing to try to slight me so have at it

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[popsjumper 2]

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...QFT

OK, Mike. Without a puppy powerpoint pic, I don't know what QFT means...fill me in?

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[popsjumper 2]

I think it was just a long, convoluted way of saying, "Don't sweat the small stuff" and giving examples of what, to the poster, is to be deemed small stuff.

Kinda like politicians chipping off our personal "rights" one piece at a time in the name of Homeland Security.
Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's off to SC we go!

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[Squeak 17]

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I think it was just a long, convoluted way of saying, "Don't sweat the small stuff" and giving examples of what, to the poster, is to be deemed small stuff.

Kinda like politicians chipping off our personal "rights" one piece at a time in the name of Homeland Security.
Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's off to SC we go!

except the last bit where she trys to be a little intimate with me, Do you think she likes me

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[jenfly00 0]

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[reply
...or were you just once again galloping to the rescue of a damsel in distress to win favor? It's hard to tell sometimes. If so, just ignore my above reply and good luck.

Do you lead a reasonably sad exsistance? I only ask because it would seem that way from my angle of view

My reply was in response to people questioning Ambers morality and weighing it up against what they consider to be a small thing. I highly doubt you are in any position to question Mine Ambers or anyone elses moral code. but hey it cost nothing to try to slight me so have at it

I've seen you gallop before ...on several occasions. I don't know you, just your type.

As to the former, it's sometimes a fine line between following a moral code and being driven by personal demons.

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"O brave new world that has such people in it".

[Squeak 17]

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[replyI've seen you gallop before ...on several occasions. I don't know you, just your type.

.

Trust me when i say you have NO clue as to my type, You make judgments on people based on a small amount of onscreen text, and think you know their "type"
I hope i am never as jaded as you seem to be.

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?