Staff taking home freebies?

[UKSBD]

My lad has just started a part time job at a supermarket

1st couple of days were training and working during the day

Last night he worked from 18:00 - 22:00

I picked him up and he had 2 chocolate bars and a loaf of bread which the manager said he could have

Having read stories of staff being sacked for things as basic as helping themself to a biscuit, I've emphasized to him the importance of not accepting things offered to him by other staff

He said the manager had said they could have the chocolate as a reward for a good week's figures and bread was past sell by date.

He says I am completely overreacting, and everyone took a couple of chocolate bars home.

Is this just common practise in retail?

 

[Newchodge]

My lad has just started a part time job at a supermarket

1st couple of days were training and working during the day

Last night he worked from 18:00 - 22:00

I picked him up and he had 2 chocolate bars and a loaf of bread which the manager said he could have

Having read stories of staff being sacked for things as basic as helping themself to a biscuit, I've emphasized to him the importance of not accepting things offered to him by other staff

He said the manager had said they could have the chocolate as a reward for a good week's figures and bread was past sell by date.

He says I am completely overreacting, and everyone took a couple of chocolate bars home.

Is this just common practise in retail?

It isnormally a sackable offenced, out of date or not. It may depend. Was this collected from the shopfloor or was it in a special, staff only area?

 

[UrbanRetail]

Common practice in supermarkets.

They can either give it away for free, or pay to have it taken away via waste collection.

 

[BlueSky2019]

I also work in a supermarket and most evenings staff are allowed to take home “wasted” items which aren’t suitable to go to charity. Usually fruit, veg or anything with a use by date that day, that can’t be frozen.
Seems unusual that your son is being given chocolate?

However it is a strictly monitored process; we are only allowed 3 items and they have to be officially signed off by a manager (even if it’s just a scribble on the packaging!)

I would get your son to ask any manager how this the giveaway process is being monitored. More likely that management would get into trouble before him but won’t hurt to ask

 

[UKSBD]

Thanks all

It's tricky because he's only just started, likes his manager, wants to fit in, and doesn't want to question things.

I probably am just overreacting

 

[UKSBD]

Seems unusual that your son is being given chocolate?

The Chocolate was apparently a reward for having really good figures across the 3 stores the manager looks after.

 

[Talay]

The Chocolate was apparently a reward for having really good figures across the 3 stores the manager looks after.

So manager steals the chocolate and gives it to his new starter ?

Nothing right with this at all.

 

[UKSBD]

So manager steals the chocolate and gives it to his new starter ?

Nothing right with this at all.

Yeah, that is my view too.

But, what's he to do?
1st week there, wants to get on with everyone, would look odd if he said no when others were accepting, can hardly accuse the manager of stealing.

I know a couple of long-standing staff members, will try to have a quiet word with one of them when I get a chance

For all I know it could all be approved by head office.

 

[Bob Morgan]

Start to worry when your son is asked to look at some 'Puppies,' when he refuses the chocolate!

 

[WaveJumper]

As already been mentioned above common practise in a lot of supermarkets however normally strictly controlled from a staff only area and a pass out (although the latter may depend on how organised the local management team are) certainly happens where the wife works although the lions share goes to local food bank and charities.

 

[ecommerce84]

If this is a major supermarket, they’ll have processes in place for this. An ex of mine worked in the big green supermarket for a couple of years and would regularly bring home food that had gone past it’s date - it was all logged on the wastage system and signed off by the duty manager and then the staff were able to help themselves.

I worked as the retail manager at a large tourist attraction and we had similar in place - as long as all unsellable stock was documented (so that I could amend stock levels on the EPOS system and that the amount was accounted for in the monthly management accounts) then the staff could have it.

I think that is fairly standard practise.

For the ‘rewards’ it’s possible that they have something in place - we certainly did. It ranged from an Ice Cream after a hot busy day to writing off lunch on event days etc.

Without asking the manager for sure it’s impossible to know if they have a similar thing. I would say that retail managers in big supermarkets are under intense pressure to hit targets and as all stock is monitored and they have to explain missing stock, it’s very unlikely the manager would be doing it if he wasn’t legitimately able to - if they’re handing it out to all employees it would soon be noticed.

 

[HFE Signs]

Many years ago I had connections with a bakery, they always gave away any unsold food to staff. In your case, if concerned you could always ask and explain your concerns

 

[Karimbo]

if they are after the best before date, they are usually given away because a lot of the stuff wont even be taken by food banks. It makes sense the staff (on minimum wage) are given this stuff during this time because a basket shop now costs £30 these days and for under18s that's a good 5 hours of work.

 

[Talay]

if they are after the best before date, they are usually given away because a lot of the stuff wont even be taken by food banks. It makes sense the staff (on minimum wage) are given this stuff during this time because a basket shop now costs £30 these days and for under18s that's a good 5 hours of work.

Did a basket shop the other day and it was far nearer £100 than £30 but I take your point.

 

[estwig]

You might be missing something here, you've got a grown man giving chocolate to a young lad.

Careful how you tread with this.

 

[IanSuth]

When i was a student i temped at WHSmith News who are one of the distributors for papers and magazines.

I had to strip the free gifts off magazines coming back from sale or return after they were scanned back in. We all used to eat the free sweets off the comics etc but a warning went out that taking anything home was theft even though it was all going in the bin (it was being stripped off so the mags could be paper recycled and this was the days of computer mags with a stack of floppies on the front).

Just after i left there was a snap inspection at the gate and a supervisor was found to have a small craft knife in his overall pocket, it had come off a craft magazine and he had been using it to cut the string of magazine bundles. As he was already on a disciplinary warning for something else he was dismissed instantly for theft - his protestation it was being used for work purposes and he just forgot to throw it away and grab another the next day was ignored (he was meant to have used the ring knife provided even though most staff hated them and didn't use them)

 

[Casually made]

Jesus Christ people read these posts back to yourselves

It reads like bureaucracy on steroids

I wonder sometimes Is there an ounce of humanity left in the world

MAN EATEN TWO CHOCOLATE BARS WITHOUT FOLLOWING PROTOCOL

- OFF WITH HIS HEADDDD

 

[Jass T]

You might be missing something here, you've got a grown man giving chocolate to a young lad.

Careful how you tread with this.

OP has only mentioned "the manager". Could be a woman.

 

[IanSuth]

Jesus Christ people read these posts back to yourselves

It reads like bureaucracy on steroids

I wonder sometimes Is there an ounce of humanity left in the world

MAN EATEN TWO CHOCOLATE BARS WITHOUT FOLLOWING PROTOCOL

- OFF WITH HIS HEADDDD

I think it is more a case of a parent not wanting their son to inadvertently end up losing his first job because he does something considered normal practice that turns out to be a sackable offence.

 

[DontAsk]

Did a basket shop the other day and it was far nearer £100 than £30 but I take your point.

Did you stand the pizzas on edge at the sides of the basket to increase the capacity?

From a Mickey Flanagan sketch.

 

[DefinitelyMaybeUK]

Did you stand the pizzas on edge at the sides of the basket to increase the capacity?

From a Mickey Flanagan sketch

Yeah, I carried it to his van - I'm gonna be a driver one day, but maybe I'm a dreamer

 

[UKSBD]

I think it is more a case of a parent not wanting their son to inadvertently end up losing his first job because he does something considered normal practice that turns out to be a sackable offence.

Exactly,

I've emphasized the importance of not accepting things from other members of staff, or having stuff in the staff room just because a member of staff says he can, and it turns out the manager is doing it.

 

[BusterBloodvessel]

To be honest, the chocolate for performing well thing doesn't seem at all unusual to me. I work with a lot of companies who do this. In fact I know one in particular who usually are absolute sticklers for protocol and red tape on this sort of stuff, but they do it regularly. If they've had a particularly good week or month in a branch they might buy all the staff a chippy dinner, or coffee and donuts, or get them all an Amazon voucher or something. Usually it's just "keep it below a couple of hundred quid and make sure it's paid on the company credit card so it's traceable". They don't seem to run into any issues with it.

Also, if your son is unsure about taking it but doesn't want to cause a scene could he not brush it off with something like "I'm on a diet, if you give me that there's no way I'll resist eating it so I'm better off not accepting it at all".... gives him a way out of the situation without ruffling any feathers?

 

[Newchodge]

To be honest, the chocolate for performing well thing doesn't seem at all unusual to me. I work with a lot of companies who do this. In fact I know one in particular who usually are absolute sticklers for protocol and red tape on this sort of stuff, but they do it regularly. If they've had a particularly good week or month in a branch they might buy all the staff a chippy dinner, or coffee and donuts, or get them all an Amazon voucher or something. Usually it's just "keep it below a couple of hundred quid and make sure it's paid on the company credit card so it's traceable". They don't seem to run into any issues with it.

Also, if your son is unsure about taking it but doesn't want to cause a scene could he not brush it off with something like "I'm on a diet, if you give me that there's no way I'll resist eating it so I'm better off not accepting it at all".... gives him a way out of the situation without ruffling any feathers?

There is a huge difference between management buying staff something as a reward/thank you, and giving away stock, apparently without control.

 

[BusterBloodvessel]

There is a huge difference between management buying staff something as a reward/thank you, and giving away stock, apparently without control.

Yes but it doesn't say the chocolate was just plucked off the shelf?

 

[Newchodge]

Yes but it doesn't say the chocolate was just plucked off the shelf?

Hence my (unanswered) question in post #2

 

[UrbanRetail]

A friend of mine manages one of the orange supermarkets. Managers are given an allocation each month to reward staff members, and this can also be used to 'giveaway' stock.

They also, fairly regularly, discount end of line products to pennies, all hoovered up by staff.

Most wastage is taken by local food banks, with anything unsuitable taken by staff.

It's extremely commonplace among retail.

 

[Newchodge]

A friend of mine manages one of the orange supermarkets. Managers are given an allocation each month to reward staff members, and this can also be used to 'giveaway' stock.

They also, fairly regularly, discount end of line products to pennies, all hoovered up by staff.

Most wastage is taken by local food banks, with anything unsuitable taken by staff.

It's extremely commonplace among retail.

When I worked at Asda (5 years ago) it was sackable. The only things available were those put in the staff canteen by management.

 

[UKSBD]

There is a huge difference between management buying staff something as a reward/thank you, and giving away stock, apparently without control.

The thing is, I have no idea if there is any control, hence why I asked if this is standard practice in retail.

It actually looks like managers are encouraged to reward staff
https://recognition.coop.co.uk/Uploads/Docs/A-guide-for-managers-2021.pdf (with bars of chocolate actually used as an example)

 

[Karimbo]

Id imagine from management's point of view, making a habit of opening expired stock and gifting them will open the floodgates for workers to just start helping themselves. So they have a bit of a hitler approach to things, including sending food to waste than giving them away.

Most food gets sent off to be used as pig feed.

Saw a US pig farm video, how they geed pigs. TYhey just get waste food from supermarkets and pulverise it all (packaging incluided into a beige slug and feed it to pigs - they seem to love it. No regard for the pigs health because it's going to get slaughtered in a few months. So it doesnt matter if the pig is being fed plastic and cardboard with the food

 

[HFE Signs]

I often give my staff freebies - printed banners for personal use and things like 'close the gate' signs. If taken without asking then of course I wouldn't be happy. If people ask and don't abuse my generosity then I always say yes. Sometimes people are generous despite the contract, we are human! So, as I said before - if in doubt then ask the manager, sometimes it's polite to accept a gift.

 

[Newchodge]

I often give my staff freebies - printed banners for personal use and things like 'close the gate' signs. If taken without asking then of course I wouldn't be happy. If people ask and don't abuse my generosity then I always say yes. Sometimes people are generous despite the contract, we are human! So, as I said before - if in doubt then ask the manager, sometimes it's polite to accept a gift.

But you own the stock. A supermarket manager does not.

 

[HFE Signs]

But you own the stock. A supermarket manager does not.

Yes, but a manager can't give someone a gift and then sack them for accepting it

 

[Newchodge]

Yes, but a manager can't give someone a gift and then sack them for accepting it

Wannabet? Managers have been known to lie about their behaviour before now if a more senior manager queries it.

 

[Mitch3473]

Is there not some protocol in place whereby the items are signed for. All legit and above board, possibly.

 

[Lucan Unlordly]

OP has only mentioned "the manager". Could be a woman.

Which puts a whole new meaning on an earlier post about wanting to see some Puppies!

 

[Bob Morgan]

Which puts a whole new meaning on an earlier post about wanting to see some Puppies!

That brings back painful memories of a Building Survey at Wilmot Breeden in 1974. Mrs Henshall was the Floor Manager (All Female Workers of a Certain Age). She kept 'Puppies' under her overalls, and had a rather spectacular moustache!

 

[Bob Morgan]

I would be very concerned about his Car Insurance. He might decide to SELL the Bars of Chocolate and would therefore need to have Business Cover.

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

If I worked in a supermarket I would be doing everything I can to get the sack!

 

[WaveJumper]

If I worked in a supermarket I would be doing everything I can to get the sack!

What and loose your staff discount on crisps ?