A store worker who was sacked for trying to challenge brazen shoplifters in a city supermarket has called the decision ‘bizarre’.
Damion Moon, 33, had had three run-ins with shoplifters at a co-op in Norfolk in the east of England in recent weeks.
Mr Moon, a team manager for seven and a half years, said he could not believe he was being punished for trying to protect the store.
His efforts to stop shoplifters led to him being dismissed for failing to follow company procedures, while an appeal against this decision was also rejected.
He said: ‘Co-op were just so cold in the way they dealt with it – they told me I was fired and walked me out the door – as if I was one of the criminals.
‘It’s really disgusting; There is no mandatory training for drunken or abusive behavior.
Damion Moon (pictured), 33, had clashed with shoplifters three times in recent weeks at a co-op in Norfolk in the east of England.
‘People can just walk in, steal what they want and leave. There’s nothing stopping a large group from coming in and looting the place.
“But if you actually try to help protect the store or anyone else, you’ll be fired.”
The company fired Mr. Moon on May 15 after a disciplinary hearing focused on “serious violations” of safety policies and procedures and failure to follow a reasonable request from management.
Mr Moon said: “I told them at my disciplinary hearing that it has been a bad week with three unprecedented incidents.
‘On March 16, only myself and another colleague were in the store. I checked the supplies and looked at the cameras to tell my colleague that I was going to take a break.
‘I saw a man behind the kiosk filling his jacket with tobacco, so I ran outside and my colleague tried to stop him from taking more.
“I tried to de-escalate the situation by standing behind him, but Co-Op said I was blocking his exit so he couldn’t leave, and that was a serious breach of security.”
In an incident on March 22, one of Mr Moon’s colleagues was hit by a shoplifter after successfully stealing bottles of wine.
Mr Moon explains: ‘A woman was filling her bag with wine and smashed a bottle.
‘I heard security on my headset and saw her trying to leave. When one of my colleagues confronted her, she was punched in the face during the altercation.
‘Another colleague of mine asked if she should go after the shoplifter and even though I didn’t tell her to go, she went anyway.
“I was told I would be endangering her life if I let her leave the store.”
In the latest incident on March 29, Mr Moon was told that by walking three steps out of the store and telling a shoplifter he had been banned, he had breached security.
He said: ‘I noticed someone had brought snacks, boxes of cereal and things like that.
“I took three steps out of the store to tell him he would be reported and denied access to the store. They said it was a security breach.
“These shoplifters know they can get away with it, so that’s why they come and do it. There’s nothing stopping them from showing up in one big group and looting the place.’
Mr Moon appealed his dismissal on May 22 – and was told on Tuesday that it had been rejected.
He said: “They said you knew the policy and we will not reverse the decision.
‘It’s bizarre that I’m being punished for trying to protect the store.
‘I have a clean criminal record and have never had a disciplinary measure before.
Mr Moon was team manager at the Norfolk branch for seven and a half years (pictured).
‘I told them it was unfair – they never spoke to me about the incidents separately, they put them all in one hearing.
‘I have not had the mandatory training to deal with assault and drunkenness. Their training is: make your presence known and don’t approach, but what do you do if someone is attacked or someone gets behind a kiosk?’
Mr Moon added that he has applied for universal credit to cover his loss of income.
He said: ‘I’m lucky to have savings, but I also have bills to pay, rent and a car. If I don’t find work in the next few months, I could lose everything.’
A spokeswoman for the East of England Co-op said: ‘While we cannot comment on individual cases, we are prioritizing people over property.
“The safety and well-being of our colleagues and customers is one of our top priorities, and our policies are designed to protect them both.
“Failure to follow these procedures can put everyone at risk.
‘We regularly remind our colleagues of this policy and the support available to them, but they should not put themselves or others at risk if they experience shoplifting.’