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?

Lots of charities also do coin tokens. You can also get a sort of tool (that goes on a keyring) that opens the trolleys without the need to leave a coin or token in there.
I didn't have a pound once and hoped someone passing the trolley bay would be able to swap £2 for 2 x £1, but the lady I asked had a lever type tool that just released the trolley.

*If this was a big deal to the supermarket, I would have expected him to be told what to do with money left in a trolley during his training.

This is one of those things in work where the supervisor probably doesn't care and would prefer not to be asked, but if you do ask, they will have to make sure it's 'by the book'.*

Exactly.

Real life. 👍🏻

This.

His contract, which he will have signed, will almost certainly say that he is bound by the policies in the staff handbook and failure to follow them could result in disciplinary action. Therefore he has been made aware of them.

Agree with this, the coin is a deposit and belongs to the customer. But under the Theft Act the son wouldn't be appropriating it dishonestly, which is the test, because the customer's abandoned it and doesn't care what happens to it.

Not really, they sell items, not provide services?

For posters saying it should go in the till - the manager will want the till to balance, being over is better than being under but it isn't desirable.

Supermarkets do not want found money to be put in tills.

His contract, which he will have signed, will almost certainly say that he is bound by the policies in the staff handbook and failure to follow them could result in disciplinary action. Therefore he has been made aware of them.

Have you got a copy of his staff handbook?

I’d be tempted to tell him to clear it with his boss tbh, to clarify and to cover his back. Supermarkets do carry out random searches, and employees are not supposed to carry any cash on them.

Your friend is too Mrs Perfect. I would have laughed at her. I wouldn't tell her anything else though.

@DontMakeMeShushYou

Bet you’re a hoot at the works Christmas party. 🤦‍♀️

He should pocket it - he's doing the job of returning the trolley

Don't tell people about it though, like others said and be discreet about it

Totally agree with your attitude. Britain introduced the concepts of honesty and integrity to the world and yet here we are, moral compass missing.

There are two different issues here. One is the legality of taking trolley coins. It's pretty obviously nothing like theft in most scenarios (grabbing it from someone who clearly hasn't finished using it is about the only thing that might be), so in a court of law he wouldn't be found guilty, morally or criminally. By the same reasoning, the friend who thinks he's stealing from his employer is barking up the crazy tree.

On the other hand, if it's against the employer's policy, he could lose his job for it. If he is even forbidden to carry his own money about with him during working hours it doesn't matter where it came from, he shouldn't have it. How silly would it be to lose even a low paid job for the sake of a handful of coins? He'd be unlikely to win a tribunal, either, if it was clearly stated in the conditions of employment. So he does need to make sure for his own sake. He should check the policy with the supervisor on a hypothetical basis - not say he already took any home!

It really doesn't matter what the Daily Mail would say about it, unless they want to offer him a better paying job.

You’re really not serious are you? Britain did nothing of the sort. And, yes, the moral compass is definitely missing - mostly among our so called “leaders”.

Totally agree with your attitude. Britain introduced the concepts of honesty and integrity to the world and yet here we are, moral compass missing.

Phone call for you from Boris Johnson, those heckling blokes at Lords, and someone who runs a food bank.

@Twoscotcheggsandajarofmarmite

I'm sure you're lovely and do a great job. But as you say you're in a different country where your workers are not on minimum wage and things sound much better organised.

Britain introduced the concepts of honesty and integrity to the world and yet here we are, moral compass missing.

😂😂😂

@Konfetka please elaborate

Supermarket manager here. If I found out a member of the team was doing this I'd just have a polite word and point them in the direction of the charity box. Whatever people's opinion is on this thread doesn't matter it is gross misconduct and some managers would suspend, investigate and dismiss, I unfortunately work alongside some with this attitude. Im all about chances i willl give the benefit of the doubt. What we do with left £1s or tokens in my store is pop them in a pot for customers who forget their own and surprisingly they all come back. We only keep around £5 any more goes in the charity pot or the British legion at that time of year

Totally agree with your attitude. Britain introduced the concepts of honesty and integrity to the world and yet here we are, moral compass missing.

This is amazing. I mean its total bullshit but what a statement. As a customer I would much prefer you son to pocket the pound rather than the supermarket or a charity tin where it will never be seen by the people the charity is intended for.

It is a tip (from the person it belongs to) for whoever takes the trolly back.

(I've never heard of anyone saying that they would like to pay their supermarket an extra pound.)

This comment on moral compass (if it wasn’t tongue in cheek) wins the internet probably for ever!

Huh? You OK, hun? What has this got to do with a work Christmas party?

I worked in a supermarket whilst in college. I think it’s stealing. When working he is representing the supermarket. He found the money whilst acting on their behalf. It is their trolley, their property and he was doing a job on their behalf that he was being paid to do. It would be different if he found it in his own time.

I wish all supermarkets trolleys had to have a £ put in to use them. I've seen far too many abandoned or kids messing about in them. As a non driver I've also stopped a few from crashing into someones car crossing a carpark in high winds. Please just put them back.

This

we always put our trolley away but quite often we don’t take the pound coin so its a little bonus for the next shopper

we would be quite happy with the trolley person that day having the coin as well

if i thought the supermarket would make a fuss about it or take it away then I won’t leave the coin moving forward