Canadian Dad fired for taking candy bars out of a trash bin

[hoosier]

Dad fired for taking candy bars out of a trash bin

Guy Masse, 47, had planned to give the discarded chocolate to his children, aged 6, 9 and 15, for Christmas. Montreal's Sun Youth Organization says it will help Masse's family. "This family will have a Christmas that they deserve — food on the table and gifts for the kids," says a rep. (Toronto Star)

[RedRoseSAI]

Fired from where?

[_Lisa_]

Google is our friend!

Fired for taking candy out of garbage for his kids

A single father of three fired for taking chocolate bars from a garbage bin at a Zellers store will get some Christmas cheer from a charitable organization.

Guy Masse, 47, had planned to give the discarded chocolate to his children, ages six, nine and 15, for Christmas.

Masse, who was on welfare and had been working at the store only for a couple of months, was first suspended and then fired.

"I think it's inhuman,'' Masse told CJAD radio station in Montreal of his dismissal.

Zellers, which is part of Toronto-based retailer Hudson's Bay Co., has said Masse should have notified his supervisor that he was taking the chocolate out of the garbage at the St-Hyacinthe store, about 50 kilometres east of Montreal.

"It's a very unfortunate situation. We would never have willingly let an associate go at this time of year without just cause,'' said HBC spokeswoman Hillary Stauth in an interview from Toronto.

"Unfortunately this associate breached the trust of his supervisors by removing merchandise from the store, and as a result, he was let go from his position.''

Established in 1670, Hudson's Bay is Canada's largest department store chain and oldest company with more than 500 outlets, led by the Bay and Zellers chains.

Added Stauth: "We have over 70,000 across Canada. They work so hard especially at this time of year. It's very upsetting that one bad employee tarnished the reputation of everybody else.'' Montreal's Sun Youth Organization said Tuesday that Masse's family will be provided for this Christmas. "It's important to Sun Youth now that this family will have a Christmas that they deserve, food on the table and gifts for the kids,'' Sun Youth's Tommy Kulcyzk told CJAD.

[FSUZeta]

am i missing something? he is taking chocolate that the store is throwing away, so the powers that be label him a "bad employee?"i wonder if a homeless person had been caught taking the discarded chocolate, if the store would have prosecuted ?

i wonder if there is more to this story than we know?

[tld221]

if it's trash, then its up for grabs, right?

unless companies have laws about trash still being property of whosever bin/can/receptable it is...

[Sistermadly]

The company said that they didn't want to be held responsible if the man's family became ill from eating expired food, but yes, I think it was a despicable thing to do at the Holidays.

[KillarneyRose]

Added Stauth (HBC spokesperson): "We have over 70,000 across Canada. They work so hard especially at this time of year. It's very upsetting that one bad employee tarnished the reputation of everybody else.


What a sanctimonious turd.

[FSUZeta]

seems to me that if they were concerned for the employees and childrens health, the benevolent thing would have been to buy some fresh chocolate and give it to the man to take home.

[Peaches-n-Cream]

Originally posted by KillarneyRose
Added Stauth (HBC spokesperson): "We have over 70,000 across Canada. They work so hard especially at this time of year. It's very upsetting that one bad employee tarnished the reputation of everybody else.


What a sanctimonious turd.

I think that by firing him, they just tarnished their own reputation. They really have no compassion for this man and his plight.

[sageofages]

Originally posted by FSUZeta
am i missing something? he is taking chocolate that the store is throwing away, so the powers that be label him a "bad employee?"i wonder if a homeless person had been caught taking the discarded chocolate, if the store would have prosecuted ?

i wonder if there is more to this story than we know?

While I don't agree with firing the man, I can see why the store would have such a policy in place.

What would stop an employee from throwing out perfectly good items, and then dumpster diving later to retrieve them?

[dzrose93]

Originally posted by KillarneyRose
Added Stauth (HBC spokesperson): "We have over 70,000 across Canada. They work so hard especially at this time of year. It's very upsetting that one bad employee tarnished the reputation of everybody else.


What a sanctimonious turd.

You said it, sister!

[honeychile]

Originally posted by sageofages
While I don't agree with firing the man, I can see why the store would have such a policy in place.

What would stop an employee from throwing out perfectly good items, and then dumpster diving later to retrieve them?

It's been a while since I've worked at a fast food place, but most of them that I know of do have some sort of policy of throwing out anything not eaten by closing. That's so no employee cooks up a few dozen burgers just prior to leaving, and takes them home. One of the few that doesn't do this is Roy Rogers (when you can find them). They have people who will pick up the unused food, and distribute it to the homeless.

I agree that asking him why he did the dumpter dive would have been more appropriate.

[aephi alum]

There's no doubt that this situation was handled poorly all around.

He should have asked in the first place: "Why is this chocolate being thrown out? Oh, it's past its expiration date? Say, can I take a box home for my kids?"

Or, when he was caught, he should have been asked why he was dumpster diving. If he'd been found looking for perfectly good merchandise he'd thrown out earlier in the day with the intent of retrieving it later, that's theft and he should be disciplined. If it was faulty merchandise that cannot be sold (e.g. expired chocolate) that's different - he should be asked not to do it again, but not summarily fired.

There's also a reputation issue for the store, especially if the man was wearing a work uniform.