Entrapment in the work place

[Annabrie2]

charlotte, nc

Yesterday I was pulled into the HR office with my manger and my union rep and a man with lost and prevention on speaker phone. He told me when I first spoke that the company was experiencing a lot of loss and that I was randomly selected to help them understand how I store operated. I didn't think I was in trouble so I became relaxed and spent an hour and a half answering trivial questions. About an hour and a half in is when's I realized his time had changed and his accusations of loss in our store were directed at me. I stated numerous times that I had no idea what he was talking about. He then proceeded to tell me that they had evidence that I had eaten food in the back without paying for it and people had said my name and I had better say their name to save my job. This man interrogated me so hard I was in tears and in fear of losing my job. He said I didn't have to cooperate but it would be in my best interest if I wanted to make him see my side before a verdict of my termination was decided. I broke down and admitted to having eaten food before I'm the back and not ringing in sodas and chips by accident on a guest ticket in human error. He pushed me to sign a proprietary note saying I would pay back the $300 in error and food I had made in a years time.

This company is a huge hospitality business in many airports and i just got word today that they have pulled 4 others from different stores and interrogated them for close to two hours as well getting them to confess to eating food or other acts in fear of losing our jobs. No real evidence has been produced. We are unionized.

Is this a form of entrapment ?

 

[Zigner]

Entrapment? No. Entrapment would be if they tricked you in to stealing from them. In this case, you stole from them and then admitted to it.

 

[Annabrie2]

I understand. There's nothing about forcing people out of fear to admit things.

 

[Zigner]

I understand. There's nothing about forcing people out of fear to admit things.

Did they prevent you from leaving?

 

[Annabrie2]

Everyone in a store does it, it's store culture. Allowed by managers. Not that it makes it right, it's just crazy they can interrogate people like that.

 

[Annabrie2]

No, I guess at anytime I could have. They set me a part from my union rep so I couldn't see her face to know any better but that about it

 

[Annabrie2]

They send people into stores and ask for weird things at random times to make sure we ring them up for it. Like a soda. If I failed to do it. They would know but I don't think that's a form of trickery right?

 

[cbg]

No, it's only entrapment if they induce you to do something wrong. If they do spot checks to see if you're doing it right or wrong, and you do it wrong, that's on you.

 

[Shadowbunny]

I understand. There's nothing about forcing people out of fear to admit things.

The word you're looking for is 'coercion'. And you were not coerced. You admitted to stealing because, well, you stole.

 

[quincy]

charlotte, nc

... Is this a form of entrapment ?

What you describe is not entrapment. What you describe also has nothing at all to do with workplace injuries or worker's compensation.

It is important to realize that, even if stealing food is the "store culture" and "everyone" does it, it is still stealing and you can be charged with theft, unless your employment contract states that you can take food for a meal (and I know that some restaurant contracts include a clause like this).

But this does not appear to be the case in your situation, and I see no defense if you gave free items away to customers (intentionally or by mistake). I think it would certainly be grounds for employment termination, this whether you confessed to such transgressions or not.

 

[Zigner]

They send people into stores and ask for weird things at random times to make sure we ring them up for it. Like a soda. If I failed to do it. They would know but I don't think that's a form of trickery right?

You mean they send "secret shoppers" in to ask for "weird things"? Like SODA? Yeah, who'd believe that anyone would ever buy a soda?

 

[LdiJ]

No, I guess at anytime I could have. They set me a part from my union rep so I couldn't see her face to know any better but that about it

That is the one thing that they might have done wrong. They might have violated the union contract by doing that. You can discuss that with your union.

 

[eerelations]

That is the one thing that they might have done wrong. They might have violated the union contract by doing that. You can discuss that with your union.

I doubt that there's anything in the contract that prohibits the employer from placing a union rep (who is in the same room as the union member) in a position such that the member can't see the rep's face.

 

[nlyten]

There is no violation by not letting you see the rep's face. The union contract most likely states that a rep must be present, which does not mean that you have to be able to look them in the face. Admittedly, you stole from your employer. You're lucky they didn't fire you or press charges.

Those things being said, why is this thread wrongly posted under Work Place Injuries / Workers' Comp?

 

[quincy]

There is no violation by not letting you see the rep's face. The union contract most likely states that a rep must be present, which does not mean that you have to be able to look them in the face. Admittedly, you stole from your employer. You're lucky they didn't fire you or press charges.

Those things being said, why is this thread wrongly posted under Work Place Injuries / Workers' Comp?

Posters sometimes get confused on where to place their threads. We all managed to find Annabrie2's post here, though, so the misplacement is of no real consequence.