Who owns a pound left in supermarket trolley?

[Zippyzoppy]

My son has a part-time job at weekends with one of the major supermarkets. One of his tasks is to round up any stray trolleys and put them back in the trolley park.

Apparently, from time to time ( maybe one/twice per day) people can’t be arsed to put their own trolleys back and so leave the £1 coins in the trolley. If this happens, he keeps the pound and puts the trolley back as required. When he first told me about this, I was quite pleased for him and thought it was a nice way for him to make a few extra quid.

However, when I mentioned this to a friend, she was aghast as she thought that he was cheating /stealing from his employer as the money is rightfully theirs.

Who is right?

It's nothing to do with the business profits.

If anyone wants to hear a win for common sense v policies and procedures.
My story didn't end with being fired. I went to a solicitor for a case of unfair dismissal and the store ended up paying out FAR more than the £5 I "stole" from them. In fact the length of time it took they ended up paying more than what my wages would have been for the same period so I felt like it was karma.

@Noseylittlemoo 👍🏻

They already do this surely? People are employed by supermarkets as assistants and part of their job is to collect the trolleys.

I think this is an odd one OP - your son is already being paid to do the job of collecting the trolleys - so it’s different to just being lucky and pocketing the pound in an already paid for trolley and no one else in a supermarket gets tips so why should he?

I think it would be fairer if it all went in a jar to either be divided by everyone on shift or donated to charity.

That’s irrelevant. It’s nothing to do with money from the tills.

Cash handling procedures cover every instance of cash and how it’s handled.

Again, that’s irrelevant.

Cash handling procedures will state there should be no cash on any employee at any time, regardless of where it’s from, and being in breach of that is gross misconduct.

Out of interest has anyone who works in a Supermarket been party to a situation where someone, a Saturday part timer , has been fired in a situation like this? For Gross Misconduct?

Rather than say their supervisor having a word?

Genuinely interested.

And don't need more chapter and verse of a rule book quoted at me tbh.

To all those claiming its only £1 and there for it is not an issue or a problem, you have zero idea and are talking rubbish.

Value is not the only consideration in cases of theft in the eyes of the law, even the sentencing guidelines by the sentence council state that harm is assessed by reference to the financial loss that results from the theft and any significant additional harm suffered by the victim or others.

Examples of significant additional harm may include but are not limited to:

• Items stolen were of substantial value to the loser – regardless of monetary worth
• High level of inconvenience caused to the victim or others
• Consequential financial harm to victim or others
• Emotional distress
• Fear/loss of confidence caused by the crime
• Impact of theft on a business

Be it £1 or a trolley token, or an apparently worthless photo or letter, the value and value to the person who lost it is what determines the fact.

All these items could have personal value, sentimental value, etc.. you cannot judge this without seeking the facts from the person who left the items or forgot them.

You have no idea if the person leaving the trolley did so on purpose or was lazy or had an emergency or distracted and left their property behind. Also you cannot judge how it may affect them.

You can't steal something that doesn't belong to anyone.

The customer was too idle to put it back and thus abandoned their coin.

The supermarket doesn't own the coin just because they're the landowner or it's their trolley. It's unlikely they even accept any responsibility for lost property although they may keep it aside for X amount of time in case it's claimed. They certainly aren't responsible for hunting the customer down or compensating anyone if it can't be found, however.

The coin was a deposit for returning the trolley. So the person who returns the trolley keeps the coin. Best if it's someone on minimum wage, which is a pathetic amount for any young people, and the person who has to do extra work because of lazybones who left it there in the first place.

Sure, some places might sack him. But as for who would be behaving badly in that scenario, I say it's the supermarket. They make enough money through nefarious means already. God knows how many pounds they've stolen from their customers by overcharging them already.

@OldBeller "The customer was too idle to put it back and thus abandoned their coin."

Pure speculation do you know that as a fact NO. Which pretty much makes every thing else you say worthless from that point on.

It belongs to the person who returns the trolley, so the lazy peolple forfeit it. I would'nt see how it belongs to the supermarket.

*To all those claiming its only £1 and there for it is not an issue or a problem, you have zero idea and are talking rubbish.

Value is not the only consideration in cases of theft in the eyes of the law, even the sentencing guidelines by the sentence council state that harm is assessed by reference to the financial loss that results from the theft and any significant additional harm suffered by the victim or others.

Examples of significant additional harm may include but are not limited to:

• Items stolen were of substantial value to the loser – regardless of monetary worth
• High level of inconvenience caused to the victim or others
• Consequential financial harm to victim or others
• Emotional distress
• Fear/loss of confidence caused by the crime
• Impact of theft on a business

Be it £1 or a trolley token, or an apparently worthless photo or letter, the value and value to the person who lost it is what determines the fact.

All these items could have personal value, sentimental value, etc.. you cannot judge this without seeking the facts from the person who left the items or forgot them.

You have no idea if the person leaving the trolley did so on purpose or was lazy or had an emergency or distracted and left their property behind. Also you cannot judge how it may affect them.*

All well and good.

More chapter and verse.

I'd like to see you pursue something like this over a £1 left in a trolley.

Have you heard of the word PROPORTIONAL ?

@sunglassesonthetable Yes, they would pursue it. They can’t afford not to, else where does it stop?

It also shows the employee cannot be trusted, because they know they shouldn’t do it but did it anyway in the hopes they wouldn’t get caught.

*Yes, they would pursue it. They can’t afford not to, else where does it stop?

It also shows the employee cannot be trusted, because they know they shouldn’t do it but did it anyway in the hopes they wouldn’t get caught.*

No I asked if anyone actually knew of this happening. Posters on here work at supermarkets.

Not "they would do this" or "they would do that".

Do you think OPs son is not to be trusted?

@sunglassesonthetable And how do you determine proportional with out getting all the facts and determining the affect on the victim?

Taking something that does not belong to you without due diligence to find the owner and get that facts means you cannot make that determination. How do you assign proportion if you have not tried to seek the facts, for instance you have no idea of the possible sentimental value or emotional value attached to an object.

You seem to be trans fixed on monetary value which is where your argument falls to pieces.

We all know there's a gap between the rule book and RL.

And I am genuinely interested if a saturday staff kid has ever been fired for gross misconduct for trolley coins.

If a Supermarket would do this or deal with the issue proportionally.

*And how do you determine proportional with out getting all the facts and determining the affect on the victim?

Taking something that does not belong to you without due diligence to find the owner and get that facts means you cannot make that determination. How do you assign proportion if you have not tried to seek the facts, for instance you have no idea of the possible sentimental value or emotional value attached to an object.

You seem to be trans fixed on monetary value which is where your argument falls to pieces.*

I think any decent Court of Law would judge the proportionality of £1. 🤦‍♀️

Or law enforcement officer.

So what you you say if a person had a token or coin that had great sentimental value to the owner say it was passed to them from a loved one whom passed away or other equally significant value.

They accidentally loose it or forget it in a supermarket or shop, they contact the store in question and it turns out it was found by an employee but they decided to not hand it in and keep it (theft).

Do you say to the owner its only a £1 tough shit, or do you deal with in legally and discipline the member of staff. where is the proportional response with out known the facts.

*So what you you say if a person had a token or coin that had great sentimental value to the owner say it was passed to them from a loved one whom passed away or other equally significant value.

They accidentally loose it or forget it in a supermarket or shop, they contact the store in question and it turns out it was found by an employee but they decided to not hand it in and keep it (theft).

Do you say to the owner its only a £1 tough shit, or do you deal with in legally and discipline the member of staff. where is the proportional response with out known the facts.*

If it was £1 or shaped like that I would be very surprised if they left it in a trolley tbh. Very risky.

Your example is so convoluted as to be quite mad. Report a sentimental, significant £1 to the police and see what happens.

I’ve worked management in retail and hospitality for well over a decade. I’ve seen many situations like this occur because kids just don’t think and don’t take cash handling procedures seriously.

@sunglassesonthetable Pointless having a discussion with you. Lets face it your responses are bordering on desperate and your knowledge of the law is far from perfect. Ill leave you now to to back to the little bridge to sit under.

I’ve worked management in retail and hospitality for well over a decade. I’ve seen many situations like this occur because kids just don’t think and don’t take cash handling procedures seriously.

Seems like better communication is needed possibly.

Rather than just quoting rules.

@sunglassesonthetable

Why don't you leave it now, its not a good look on you.

Why are you so argumentative?

Pointless having a discussion with you. Lets face it your responses are bordering on desperate and your knowledge of the law is far from perfect. Ill leave you now to to back to the little bridge to sit under.

Are you always so rude?

Really not necessary tbh. You're not coming over very well.

People are not always going to agree with you. 😄

@umpaumpajumps