This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Rhea Gordon, a former Walmart associate in North Carolina. Business Insider has verified her identity and past employment. The story has been edited for length and clarity.
I had been telling my team lead for three or four days before I got fired that I was burned out on self-checkout. My job was to monitor the self-checkout at our store, but I wanted to switch to a regular register for a couple of days.
Two girls came through that night it happened. It was the fourth of November. They had a tote, one of those big gray plastic ones you store stuff in.
They rang the tote up, which was $6.95. Then they walked right past me.
There's a saying at Walmart: "Do you know B.O.B. and L.I.S.A.?" B.O.B. is "bottom of the basket." L.I.S.A. is "look inside, always." So I followed them and asked them if I could go and look inside the tote. They declined and tried to push their cart past me. I used my finger and flipped the lid off to where I could see inside. It was half-full of stuff, and 90% of it was makeup. And I don't know if you know anything about cosmetics, but one little pencil is $10, so the value of that tote added up quickly.
The cops were called. But when they got there, they let the girls go. The asset protection team at the store didn't do anything, either.
A few days later, everything was going fine. Then, the guy in charge of asset protection and my supervisor called me in the office about an hour and a half into my shift.
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When I went in, they referenced the "incident with the girls" and said that I was fired, just like that. They said I went against policy by stepping out of the door of the store and because I grabbed the tote.
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Afterward, I tried to file for unemployment, but I found out that, according to Walmart, I wasn't eligible for it. I had to go through an appeal hearing because Walmart said they had a reason for firing me. I got that overturned in arbitration with Walmart, but if I hadn't appealed it and asked for a hearing, I wouldn't have got it.
Theft was pretty common at the store where I worked. There was another incident I got a warning about. One woman swapped price tags so that a shirt that was supposed to cost $8.95 rang up for $1. I noticed it, so I walked over and said, "Could I look at that?" and rang it up the right way.
Then the customer walked over to customer service and told them that I was rude, that I insulted her, and that I accused her of stealing, which I never did. My boss said I was responsible for creating "a dissatisfied customer."
At the same time, they made employees at my store wear this badge that says how much shrinkage there has been and how we're not doing our job to stop theft. I refused to wear it.
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That's how it's gotten to be. These companies want you to prevent shoplifting and theft. But I say: "You're not giving us the tools to do what you want us to do."
As Walmart employees, we often can't do anything to stop shoplifters. Ultimately, the policy is to let them go.
But I can't do that. I can't look and watch someone stealing something when the company talks about how that makes prices go up and puts my job in jeopardy.
A Walmart spokesperson told BI: "While we are not discussing the details of a personnel matter, violating policies can lead to termination under our progressive disciplinary process."
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Do you work for Walmart or another retailer and have a story idea to share? Reach out to this reporter at abitter@insider.com
