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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think this Holland And Barrett Member Of Staff should be sacked

70 replies

Jacobsmum1972 · 20/05/2015 16:41

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3086328/Schoolgirl-close-tears-Holland-Barrett-shop-assistant-said-just-eat-eat-eat.html

I know it's a Mail link, but it was the original story.

I also think that the mum should not let her daughter buy diet pills, but the staff was out of order.

OP posts:
OP posts:
sparechange · 20/05/2015 16:44

I think the key sentence here is:
"A spokesman for the company told MailOnline that it was investigating the incident, adding that they dispute the suggestion that the assistant said Molly 'must just eat and eat and eat'."
Her word against the shop assistants. And we all know teenagers never exaggerate or embellish stories...
In the absence of proof, they can't sack her. They've apologised and given very very generous compensation.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 20/05/2015 16:44

I think she needs some retraining on customer service, and I can understand why the girl's mum wants the assistant sacked, but I am not convinced it is a sacking offence.

00100001 · 20/05/2015 16:45

I think it's a bit much to sack the woman...!

Also, it's a bit unwise of the mother to say thing like 'this is how eating disorders start' as a reason for sacking the assistant, when the girl was buying diet pills Confused surely, buying diet pills could trigger an eating disorder?

Original poster
Jacobsmum1972 · 20/05/2015 16:45

I don't a teenager would make up something like that, the member of staff would deny it know wouldn't they.

OP posts:
Original poster
Jacobsmum1972 · 20/05/2015 16:46

I don't think

OP posts:
AyMamita · 20/05/2015 16:46

YABU. I don't believe the assistant actually spoke like that to the girl but in the unlikely case the story is true, there must have been some sort of language barrier.

Presumably the girl already thought she was "big" or she wouldn't have been trying to buy diet pills so I can't see why hearing this was such a terrible shock to her.

sparechange · 20/05/2015 16:46

OP, do you have a personal interest in this story, perhaps as the mother of the girl..?

And really? You don't know any 16 year old girls who are prone to drama?

00100001 · 20/05/2015 16:48

I think a teenager would/could exaggerate what was said

I also think the staff member would downplay anything she did say.

Unless there was a recording, it's all "he said, she said"

The girl has been given an apology and £50 voucher - do they really think this is a sackable offence??

songbird · 20/05/2015 16:50

Why have the DM put loads of pouty pictures of the 16 year old girl on their article?

Dr0pThePirate · 20/05/2015 16:51

H&B dispute the "eat and eat and eat" comment so they can't fire the employee.

I think the bigger issue is that this 16 year old was after diet pills in the first place. Her mum would be complaining if she'd been sold them too.

Mountain out of a mole hill really.

DoJo · 20/05/2015 16:51

She was so humiliated that she went to a national paper to quote what was said? Sounds a bit unlikely to me...

Original poster
Jacobsmum1972 · 20/05/2015 16:53

I'm not the mother Hmm. I agree why was the mum letting her buy diet pills.

OP posts:
hedgehogsdontbite · 20/05/2015 16:54

Even if she did say it, I don't think it warrants losing your livelihood over. An apology and maybe some retraining, yes. But not sacking. Especially as the member of staff was diligent enough to check her age and refuse to sell her the pills she wanted.

LurkingHusband · 20/05/2015 16:55

Why have the DM put loads of pouty pictures of the 16 year old girl on their article?

Clickbait.

monkeysaymoo · 20/05/2015 16:58

I often refer to my son as 'big for his age' but I don't mean he's fat he's just very tall and not particularly lanky like my eldest.

I think that as a phrase doesn't necessarily mean oh your fat. I think there was more to the conversation than what's been reported. I would be more concerned that my 16 year old daughter was out trying to buy diet pills tbh

purdiepie · 20/05/2015 17:00

The crime committed here is that the girl claims to be a size 12.

Jelliebabe1 · 20/05/2015 17:03

I don't think telling someone to eat is particularly a mean thing to say in any case and maybe she does look a little big. She certainly thinks so herself or she wouldn't be after diet pills.

Ridiculous wanting the woman sacked - I think £50 is EXTREMELY generous!

Theycallmemellowjello · 20/05/2015 17:03

Come on now, this is pretty bad. If she said anything close to that, I do reckon it's a sacking offence.

Floggingmolly · 20/05/2015 17:03

Her mother claims she's "only a size 12" and "this is how eating disorders start". The girl was buying, or attempting to buy, diet pills.
Shouldn't she be asking herself why?

vindscreenviper · 20/05/2015 17:05

Why do you think the member of staff should be sacked op? Even if you believe the conversation went exactly as the girl and her mother claim, don't you think sacking is a massive headline grabbing overreaction, I do.

ToadsJustFellFromTheSky · 20/05/2015 17:07

I have to admit that my first thought was she doesn't look like a size 12.

It's not always easy to tell what size someone is though, especially from a photo.

textfan · 20/05/2015 17:08

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

sharonthewaspandthewineywall · 20/05/2015 17:10

Way to go Purdie- golf clap for you further body shaming a young teen.

WorraLiberty · 20/05/2015 17:10

OP it doesn't say anywhere that her Mother allowed her to buy diet pills.

The Mother wasn't even with her when she tried to buy them.

I also doubt the assistant said she must just eat and eat and eat.