Why can’t it be a bill that simply states employees don’t have to jump in to stop shoplifters but can, much like how people who are trained in CPR/First Aid have the choice to help someone or decide they don’t feel comfortable doing so? So many laws trying to restrict people from doing what they want when they’re not the criminals.
Here’s two quotes that seem to conflict each other:
Cortese, a Democrat representing much of Santa Clara County in the heart of Silicon Valley, told Newsweek: “SB 553 is focused on protecting employees. The bill does not prohibit employees from stopping theft…”
But Rachel Michelin, president of the California Retailers Association, told Fox 2/KTVU: “…It [the bill] says no employee can approach someone who’s shoplifting, so even if someone is trained on how to deter someone from doing that, now they’re not allowed to approach someone…”
The businesses in California are going to have to completely change how retail works in order to survive in this environment. I don’t know what that is going to look like, but the current way of having customers pick items off a shelf doesn’t appear to be the way forward.
Do people who think this bill is wrong support increased wages for risk involved? To what length should an hourly sale’s employees risk their safety for merchandise?
This is a bit of a misleading headline. It’s still a bill worth discussing but it says that retailers are banned from *requiring* “rank and file” employees from having to confront thieves. So it’s a bill designed to protect minimum wage workers from having to be unpaid security guards and putting them at risk. I get that. I wish we didn’t need a bill to do it.
Should be up to the employee’s judgement first and foremost unless the store wants this to be policy. If I own the store, I do not want to be prosecuted for defending my property. Passing a bill like this with the current do not engage status of policing sends an open invitation by the government to shoplifters saying they can expect even fewer consequences.
Good. It shouldn’t be some low paid employee’s job to put their physical safety on the line to prevent a massive corporation from losing .000000001% of their already massive profit margin. Not to mention they all account for “shrinkage” in their budgeting.
Makes sense, although the title feels bait worthy. But something needs to be done because this shoplifting and theft and all is out of control. Didn’t California raise the amount needed to get in deep trouble for shoplifting or theft or something?
Isn’t the policy in most stores to leave it to the loss prevention officers? Most staff members call the cops if they are not loss prevention officers. I guess it protects employees from being fired of someone breaks in and steals somethings
Yotsubato says
It makes sense.
No minimum wage worker should be risking their life trying to save target or CVS from a couple hundred bucks of losses.
Cops should however run sting operations to catch these criminals in action and put them away.
zerostar83 says
Why can’t it be a bill that simply states employees don’t have to jump in to stop shoplifters but can, much like how people who are trained in CPR/First Aid have the choice to help someone or decide they don’t feel comfortable doing so? So many laws trying to restrict people from doing what they want when they’re not the criminals.
Here’s two quotes that seem to conflict each other:
Cortese, a Democrat representing much of Santa Clara County in the heart of Silicon Valley, told Newsweek: “SB 553 is focused on protecting employees. The bill does not prohibit employees from stopping theft…”
But Rachel Michelin, president of the California Retailers Association, told Fox 2/KTVU: “…It [the bill] says no employee can approach someone who’s shoplifting, so even if someone is trained on how to deter someone from doing that, now they’re not allowed to approach someone…”
Cumupin420 says
I mean they are the West Coast mind as well be the wild woke west
pichael289 says
This is a good idea, I’ve worked for places that heavilt imply we should be stopping shoplifters but they never paid me enough to consider doing that.
Tokenside says
It seems stores in Cali are free of charge now.
Extension_Writer_877 says
Looks like my career aspirations of being a superhero shop clerk just got dashed. #rethinkingmylifechoices
Aleyla says
The businesses in California are going to have to completely change how retail works in order to survive in this environment. I don’t know what that is going to look like, but the current way of having customers pick items off a shelf doesn’t appear to be the way forward.
sylv0028 says
Do people who think this bill is wrong support increased wages for risk involved? To what length should an hourly sale’s employees risk their safety for merchandise?
brickyardjimmy says
This is a bit of a misleading headline. It’s still a bill worth discussing but it says that retailers are banned from *requiring* “rank and file” employees from having to confront thieves. So it’s a bill designed to protect minimum wage workers from having to be unpaid security guards and putting them at risk. I get that. I wish we didn’t need a bill to do it.
humchacho says
Should be up to the employee’s judgement first and foremost unless the store wants this to be policy. If I own the store, I do not want to be prosecuted for defending my property. Passing a bill like this with the current do not engage status of policing sends an open invitation by the government to shoplifters saying they can expect even fewer consequences.
stetsonmarshal says
I suspect the headline is designed to be misleading so people on social media will fight over it
Jenkins249 says
It’s California, criminals are in control over there. The only solution is to leave California and NOT vote in the same clown policies.
cheetonian says
Good. It shouldn’t be some low paid employee’s job to put their physical safety on the line to prevent a massive corporation from losing .000000001% of their already massive profit margin. Not to mention they all account for “shrinkage” in their budgeting.
ImperialxWarlord says
Makes sense, although the title feels bait worthy. But something needs to be done because this shoplifting and theft and all is out of control. Didn’t California raise the amount needed to get in deep trouble for shoplifting or theft or something?
anonAcc1993 says
Isn’t the policy in most stores to leave it to the loss prevention officers? Most staff members call the cops if they are not loss prevention officers. I guess it protects employees from being fired of someone breaks in and steals somethings