To think this employer is a "anker?

[chocaddiction]

Basically DH works for insurance co owned by RBS in vehicle repair centre.

A car part had been purchased in error so manager told employee to put it in the skip.

DH asked manager if he could purchase the part for our car or give the money to a charity.

Manager refused and said not to take it out of skip as it would be stealing and a sackable offence!

AIBU to think this is totally ridiculous?

Stuff like this is quite common because of liability if the part or piece of equipment goes wrong.

YABU. Businesses have to account for stuff like this. They can't be flogging off stock for cash to employees - it would probably cost more to administer than they'd get for the part.

YABU - totally improper for the manager to authorise a third party sale of equipment belonging to the company. Can you imagine the precedent this might set - employees "accidentally" ordering wrong parts and buying them at a discount?

Yabu

Yep, I'd say company policy is bloody stupid but can understand why they do it.

YABU.

Surely if its in the skip, then it is no longer their property as its been discarded?

The manager should have sent the part back to the supplier - he isbu as it is wasteful any way you look at it and he is lazy as he would rather chuck it than deal with return or keep it in stock.

If it is in the work skip, don't touch it.

When it gets collected and taken to a proper tip, you could in theory consider taking it. Until then, don't touch it.

In actual fact, speak to the tip and offer them a £5 for it, and they'll probably sell it to you. You have to wait until it becomes the skips property, though, and it is not at the moment.

People really have been sacked for rubbish like this.

YABU - sets a dodgy precedent, as mentioned by MissAbs above. And legal position is that the owner of an item remains it's owner even when it's been put in a bin.