Man sacked for letting customers use his staff discount card

[Floogal]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/metro.co.uk/2023/12/27/co-op-worker-sacked-using-staff-discount-card-help-pensioners-veteran-20030339/amp/

After reading this I was in 2 minds. On one hand, I think Co-op were harsh in dismissing him, when a warning would have been sufficient. However the virtue signalling 'I love old people and war veterans ' 'trying to be nice' as a distraction for his criminal deeds boils my piss. Noticed that none of the people he's 'helped' have come running to his aid.
I used to work in retail and am still astounded by the cheeky fuckery of some cust who would expect us to risk our jobs just for their entitled benefit.

Is it criminal? He had not profited from it I presume. However the shop lost funds from it.

It cannot be tolerated on principle though

Absolutely bollocks his claim he didn’t know he was breaking the discount rules.

You have an agreement to sign when you start the job with all the rules regarding the staff discount card. He absolutely would have known what he was doing was wrong. Not only was he giving customers discounts, he'd also be accumulating points on his card! Which would give him 'free' shopping!

He got what he deserved. You're told explicitly the discount is for the staff member only.....I'm not even allowed to give the card to my kids!

I worked for one of the big four supermarkets for a few years. The rules were very clear on discount card use , which you had to sign that you understood the terms and conditions. 2 named people could used the card. The colleague and the colleagues spouse or family member who resided at the same address. Several staff members were dismissed over the years for misuse .
So this person must have known they were breaking company policy but did it anyway.
No sympathy I'm afraid

I’ve never worked in retail and even I know that you can’t use your customer discount for other people.

Nah, he profited. 2p in every pound - might not sound like much, but if you've got multiple people putting their shopping through, that's easily hundreds in a very short time; DP's got a standard card with £90 sitting in it right now, just from day to day, low value shopping (no cat food or litter, toiletries, cleaning products or expensive items, just vegetables, milk, meat and coffee).

It's not news to anybody in staff that this is theft - exMIL was very clear about it even 20 years ago, just like when I was a Saturday tills kid in the 80s, you were told it was a sacking offence to keep any promotional stamps if customers didn't collect them (and before that when Green Shield stamps were a thing).

ETA: It's certainly not secret - it's even available just by a quick internet search

https://colleagues.coop.co.uk/colleague-membership

...colleague membership, and the discounts and benefits it gives you, are for your use only and should only be used on things for your own purpose. You mustn’t give, lend or sell your card to anyone else to use,

<snip>

If we suspect that you’ve misused your colleague membership card or that your partner card has been misused, we’ll take this seriously and investigate in line with the Disciplinary Policy. It could result in disciplinary action being taken, including summary dismissal, and your membership card being taken away...

Why would they be running to his aid? Are do op supposed to track them all down one by one and notify them that a random employee has been let go?

If you’ve ever worked in retail you know how much it is drummed into you that you cannot let anyone else use your staff discount. He broke the rules and he has to face the consequences. There are other ways to help people!

I'm not without sympathy for the guy. But then it's hardly surprising that Co-op would not let him get away with it.