Got fired for the most ridiculous reason ever. Please help

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It's difficult for the store, because they can be fined or something for not charging a customer for a bag. If he didn't scan it, and the money didn't go in the till, then there's no proof he actually sold it. It's a bigger deal than it seems. When I worked retail, that was grounds for being fired. Because he was on a probationary period, it's a case of weeding out those who can't do the job properly or might cause them trouble. He could try contacting CAB and seeing if there's anything he could do, but he'd be better to just move on and try to find another job.

Reply 21

user73867

Original post by TimmonaPortella

Well, it's only recently we've had to pay for plastic bags. As for putting 5p in the till, you normally need to process a transaction before you do it, so it's quite possible you've moved onto another customer by then. Easy to forget, particularly when you're a beginner.

I did my supermarket stint too, you know?

SS

Reply 22

Drewski

Original post by TimmonaPortella

It's really not.

I really don't understand how, working on a till, you can forget to scan something a customer is supposed to pay for and then forget to put their money in the till. That's literally the entire job.

Because, when you're working on a till you do the same thing a few thousand times a day. Consequently, occasionally you forget whether or not you've already done something, especially if it's something as nonchalant as scanning a plastic bag.

So yes, very easy mistake to make.

Reply 23

Neverdie

Original post by Judge Judy

You sound like your young

Ok so you're just going to copy what I say but with terrible grammar, which only proves that not only are you too young, but that what I said was right as you're now trying to apply it to me for the same effect.

To be honest, how can someone like you possibly be able to give legal and working rights advice? You gave terrible advice, it's that simple. You have no experience or qualifications to speak on this, it's evident by your weird suggestions.

Reply 24

MonsoonFlower

Original post by nikkinikki96

My partner got fired today for not scanning a plastic carrier bag and forgot to put the 5p in the till but left it on the side. He is on probationary period but he was given no warning nor a second chance. The manager above the manager said it was gross negligence. Is this a legit reason for him to get fired?! He has to look after a house and support me and the cats. Can someone give us advice on what to do and how to appeal for the reason of being fired. Thank-you.

That is the whole purpose of the probation period. It is there to check whether that new employee can do whats required of the job; essentially a test. Your partner clearly failed to pass it for the right reasons. You don't get second chances or warnings in the adult world, how old is he; 6?

Please don't take this as a personal attack to your partner because as I said you don't get warnings, thats something how you would treat toddlers and young children. You are an adult now (according to your username?) and so is your partner. You both should know how this works, and this probation period situation defies that.

Reply 25

Mega0448

Original post by Boreism

He forgot to scan a plastic bag, stop being so patronising.*

Reply 26

MonsoonFlower

Original post by Mega0448

He forgot to scan a plastic bag, stop being so patronising.*

I'm not being patronising just merely pointing out the reason why OP shouldn't appeal, otherwise whats the point of a probation period if you don't need to get fired for making mistakes? Forgetting isn't good enough really.

Reply 27

Mega0448

Original post by Boreism

Insinuating they are a toddler or 6 is very patronising.*

At the end of the day it's a plastic bag. It's a trivial reason at best. Seeing as one of the major supermarkets understated their profits by nearly £250m which resulted in £2bn being written off their stock value, I don't a plastic bag is that important all things considered.*

It's not really my business why they were let go during their probation period. But as I said before, no need for you to patronise.*

Reply 28

IamJacksContempt

Original post by Klix88

He sold an item without scanning it and then failed to handle a customer's payment correctly. There aren't many mistakes you can make whilst sitting at a till and he's managed two of the most fundamental ones. It's not the scale of the errors, but the fact that he made them at all. If he can't be trusted to sell a carrier bag correctly or put money in the till, what might happen when he's processing a £100+ monthly shop or selling a bottle of decent champagne or handling payment made with several £20 notes? The company can't trust him and what he did was gross negligence. No grounds for appeal. He's clearly not cut out for it. He should move on and try something else. His domestic responsibilities will hopefully help him focus more in his next job.

I think you need a sense of perspective to be honest. You're acting as if this one mistake is an indication that he isn't suitable for the job. Everyone at some point or another has made a mistake at work in some capacity.

By the sounds of your post I doubt you've ever even had a job...

Reply 29

81megatron81

Original post by Judge Judy

Get your partner to send a complaint by email to the Senior Manager above those 2 other managers and threaten to tell the media about it because they will be scared of any bad publicity as that's a stupid reasont to be fired
Contact a Union or Citizens advice bureau , although maybe nothing can be done to change it but better than doing nothing and letting them get away with it as he did deserve at least a warning or second chance
It's only a stupid carrier bag and 5p
Tell him to ring or email the story to local and national newspapers, tv, news stations, Morning tv, Watchdog, magazines that pay people for stories like that
Look in your shops, supermarkets for magazines that ask people to write in about stuff like that as i think people will be interested to hear about this kind of injustice
It might be a bit far fetched and over the top but if you don't contact the media about it to try to embarrasss the company and warn people this can happen they will get away with it.
That's a stupid reason to sack anyone and nobody deserves to be treated that way as there are employees that steal from companies so what he did is nothing compared to that
Tell him not to take it lying down
If he goes public with it he could make lots of money from it by going on interviews, being paid for the story by newspapers and magazines or maybe someone will offer him a job because of it or become famous from telling about it
I'm just throwing out lots of ways to get back at the company as their biggest fear will be any bad publicity
And as for the manager saying it's gross negligence that's ******** and GT laughable
Everybody needs to hear about this story and they will think it's ridiculous too
Pretend your going to hire a lawyer and sue them, that will scare them
He should record the shop outside and put it on You Tube telling people about them

Also tell him to go straight to an empoyment agency on the high street like Reed but sign up with several agencies as that will get him a job much quicker
Also apply for Trainee Recruitment jobs online with Reed, CV Library, Monster Indeed and type Foxtons estate agents on google because both those jobs pay way better than retail jobs and you need no experience to get them and they are much better career prospects

Chav alert.

Reply 30

IamJacksContempt

Original post by Boreism

That's not what probation periods are for..

You're either a troll or very ignorant of workplace practices. Either way you shouldn't be giving advice on this thread.

Surprised how many morons think a sacking is a proportionate punishment for a negligble mistake. I would love to see how they run a business lol

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 31

81megatron81

Original post by nikkinikki96

Its one minor mistake. He has never made a mistake at work ever before.

How the hell do you know that?

You are just blindly defending him.

Reply 32

81megatron81

Original post by IamJacksContempt

Surprised how many morons think a sacking is a proportionate punishment for a negligent mistake. I would love to see how they run a business lol

Sounds like you have no workplace experience to be honest. Negligence is probably the commonest reason for firing in many lines of work.

I agree that if you were fired for a single minor error that is wrong - but for all we know this "partner" is a continual **** up.

Reply 33

username2269391

If he's on the probational period then he should know to be on-point with everything, they expect workers to show their "best-side" while on probation, so if he makes a mistake at his best, Imagine what he would be like at his worst. That's probably what the managers are thinking and it's not gonna be easy to rationalise this to them considering they probably have dozens of applications for new workers at their disposal.

Reply 34

1010marina

If anybody's actually worked on a till, you should know it's quite common for people to turn around once you've closed the till (or if they've paid by card) and say, oh here's 5p could I have a bag?, and you give it to them, set it aside. Where I worked, you couldn't open the till for a few seconds while the receipt was printing and while the till was resetting for another transaction, so yeah there were 5ps hanging around a lot.

I have sympathy for your husband, sounds like they just didn't like him for whatever reason and had to nit pick to get rid of him :frown:

Reply 35

IamJacksContempt

Original post by 81megatron81

Yes, I only have a few years experience in HR and employment law... Gross negligence? Yes. Would you consider the OP's scenario to be an example of gross negligence which leads to harm or damage?

Employee's can be sacked for repeated negligence or failure to operate their duties but again that isn't defined by making one mistake.

As others have noted, because he was on his probation period then his employer had a greater scope for reasons why to sack him. Sucks for the boyfriend.

However anyone like yourself who believes this is a common practice where any small, one off mistake is punished by sacking then they are quite simply naive. Businesses don't usually tend to run that away unless they actually like wasting time, money and resources.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 36

doodle_333

Original post by nikkinikki96

But he has me and his cats to support and he even explained that to the guy who fired him. He didn't care at all 😠

it's not the manager's job to look after you... it's your job to manage your finances, the managers concern is only for making sure the job goes smoothly

it's normal to get fired for smaller mistakes during the probation period - the whole point is to work out if the job is right for the person and he is making some basic mistakes there... it's understandable but there is nothing at all you can do now, it's generally part of a probation period that you can be fired at any point for anything or nothing and generally speaking you have no right to contest a dismissal until you've been employed for 2 years

Reply 37

81megatron81

Original post by IamJacksContempt

Not operating a till correctly would often be considered gross negligence. Never worked in retail have you? Or read what others typed either. Did you see what I actually stated?

Reply 38

Duncan2012

It's not the value of transaction that's important, it's the failure to follow a rigidly-defined process which is the main function required of someone working on the till. Yes, it's a repetitive job and mistakes will occasionally happen, it's just unfortunate his happened while he was being watched during his probation period. He needs to move on and get a new job. Don't ask this last place for a reference.

As for submitting a complaint or contacting the media - get real and grow up. Pointless, waste-of-time suggestions.

Rather than complaining about him having to support you and your cats, are you able to work?

Reply 39

IamJacksContempt

Original post by 81megatron81

Not operating a till correctly would often be considered gross negligence. Never worked in retail have you? Or read what others typed either. Did you see what I actually stated?

Yes, you stated a lot of nonsense. Forgetting to put 5p in the till is not gross negligence or misconduct.

But no, I'm sure you and the other condescending posters know better than the employment tribunals right?

In Laws Stores Limited v Oliphant,[39] an employee was dismissed for failing to follow the till procedure. She failed to register the sum of £1.14 in respect of a jar of coffee and did not put the money in her till or offer a receipt. The collectively agreed disciplinary procedure stipulated that failure to follow the till procedure was gross misconduct and would normally result in instant dismissal. The employee was, therefore, dismissed. The dismissal was held to be procedurally unfair because the employee was not given an adequate opportunity to provide an explanation. In addition, it was held that the single lapse on the part of the employee was not sufficiently serious misconduct to justify instant dismissal.

http://uk.practicallaw.com/books/9781845928339/chapterc1

(edited 7 years ago)