Falsely accused of Theft and terminated. Please help.

[Walkonmyshoes]

I had my contract terminated by Target for thef in Massachusetts. They claimed that two months ago, I took two items home without paying and, the next day, another item. When they showed me a list of the items taken during the first incident, I recognized them and admitted to having them at home. Honestly, I only realized I hadn’t paid for them during the termination meeting.

The thing is, I used to collect work tools, such as printers, scanners, and devices, to return them to the charging station. I also collected trash and misplaced items to return to guest services so other team members could restock them. On a few occasions, I used Target bags to transport these items to the correct locations.

They have an image of me in the backroom, openly, in front of cameras and other team members, grabbing items from a cart I left for shipping and placing them in a bag. You can’t see exactly what I am grabbing from the image, but I am 100% sure it was work tools, my water bottle, and other personal belongings. I likely returned the devices and kept the bag with my personal items, like my water bottle and coffee mug.

That same day, I intended to buy a pair of socks and a small toy that I grabbed during my shift. After clocking out, I picked up more bulk items and went to checkout. Somehow, by accident, I failed to pay for the two small items I had with me earlier. It was an honest mistake; both items were worth less than $10 in total.

I did not steal. I’ve seen situations where moms leave the store without realizing their toddler is holding an unpaid item or when people forget items placed at the bottom of the cart. I understand being fired for my mistake, but the issue is that they are accusing me of another theft the following day.

They believe I stole a shirt, which the RFID scanner supposedly detected. However, I was told by an ETL that this type of shirt—an NBA shirt—isn’t scannable. They claimed I left with the shirt in a bag and didn’t make any purchases that day. However, I checked my app and confirmed that I bought food that day, so I left the store with a bag containing my purchases.

I understand they can fire me for missing the payment on two small items worth less than $10 from the prior day, but I did not take the shirt they accused me of stealing the next day. Why did they fabricate another accusation?

Can I request a correction to my termination record? I don’t want this misconduct on my file. Why didn’t they fire me for the two things I admitted to? I am so frustrated.

 

[Captain Orca]

Learn, move on, grow up, don't steal shit.

 

[Walkonmyshoes]

Learn, move on, grow up, don't steal shit.

I did not still. That is the whole point of the post. Hard to move on when they fabricate a theft for me. If they had fired me for the 2 items I ACCIDENTALLY forgot to pay, and it is True, I wouldn’t be so upset.

 

[Sushi2Go]

I did not still. That is the whole point of the post. Hard to move on when they fabricate a theft for me. If they had fired me for the 2 items I ACCIDENTALLY forgot to pay, and it is True, I wouldn’t be so upset.

Unfortunately, taking items you didn't pay for intentionally or unintentionally is stealing in retail.

 

[Walkonmyshoes]

Unfortunately, taking items you didn't pay for intentionally or unintentionally is stealing in retail.

Agreed. I would be quiet about if I was terminated only for that. But adding another theft on my account and not showing any proof of it was equally wrong. I want to review that accusation alone. The itens I unintentionally toke I already admired to and signed papers on it. I don’t want to have a second theft fabricated so they can “proof a pattern”.

 

[Ringwraith917]

Ignore the captain he's rude. If they wanted to keep you they would Overlook it or forgive you this time. Most likely they were looking for a way to get you out for who knows what reason. It's unlikely that anything you say or do would have any effect on the results. You may take some solace in that Target can't share the reasons you are no longer employed to any future employer. It's strictly within Target's system since there hasn't been a police involvement

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Spot caught you. move on.

 

[Captain Orca]

You're young, it won't follow you just do not do it again under any circumstances, regardless of the item. Don't play the equivocation card with the folks on this panel. Admit you stole, you knew what you were doing. No weaseling out of this one.

 

[Walkonmyshoes]

You're young, it won't follow you just do not do it again under any circumstances, regardless of the item. Don't play the equivocation card with the folks on this panel. Admit you stole, you knew what you were doing. No weaseling out of this one.

You're young, it won't follow you just do not do it again under any circumstances, regardless of the item. Don't play the equivocation card with the folks on this panel. Admit you stole, you knew what you were doing. No weaseling out of this one.

i am far frlm

I am far from young. Before work at Target I used to shopping there almost every day, is my to go place for all my family needs. I am in a moment of my life that I had to restart from somewhere and chose Target, even being extremely overqualified for fulfillment. I basically like the store and was a job that fit my needs at the moment. I don't see the point of playing victim with a bunch of stranger, I posted here to get some insight regarding how to proceed, see if someone had a similar experience. I know exactly what I did and for that reason I want to take further measures. Thank you for your time.

 

[Walkonmyshoes]

Ignore the captain he's rude. If they wanted to keep you they would Overlook it or forgive you this time. Most likely they were looking for a way to get you out for who knows what reason. It's unlikely that anything you say or do would have any effect on the results. You may take some solace in that Target can't share the reasons you are no longer employed to any future employer. It's strictly within Target's system since there hasn't been a police involvement

I don’t intend to work at Target again, what I want to keep my reputation. I shop at Target every other day, I want to be able to walk in there and not being look at . I met people that I like over there. I go to the same religious temple of some of them. I can’t accept the idea that they call me a thief. The AP start the talking telling me that sometimes accidents happen, they would understand that, but I had a “pattern”. I believe they made up the second incident to eliminate the change of overlooking my mistake. In the past 4 months the store lost 3 team leaders and 3 amazing executive leaders. Seriously, the store is running down. People say they are cutting more hours than usual for Jan/Feb. they are pushing people to give up. I can’t take a falsely accusation, as small as it seems. Thank you for kindness in your words.

 

[sunnydays]

You're young, it won't follow you just do not do it again under any circumstances, regardless of the item. Don't play the equivocation card with the folks on this panel. Admit you stole, you knew what you were doing. No weaseling out of this one.

why are you such a jerk

 

[Black Sheep 214]

When I was at Target if you shopped on a day that you worked you had to have your bags and receipts checked when you left. Doesn’t Target require that anymore? It’s a shame if they don’t, since it protected everyone.

 

[sunnydays]

When I was at Target if you shopped on a day that you worked you had to have your bags and receipts checked when you left. Doesn’t Target require that anymore? It’s a shame if they don’t, since it protected everyone.

did not happen to me even once in 3+ years

 

[Walkonmyshoes]

did not happen to me even once in 3+ years

Never about that practice around here neither.

 

[Black Sheep 214]

did not happen to me even once in 3+ years

Never about that practice around here neither.

Wow, that’s interesting to know, because my store was so serious about it. We had metal detectors and AP sticker detectors at the team member entrance/exit too. That last one kept a lot of keys from taking that unintentional trip home. 😂

 

[BobBelcher]

I had my contract terminated by Target for thef in Massachusetts. They claimed that two months ago, I took two items home without paying and, the next day, another item. When they showed me a list of the items taken during the first incident, I recognized them and admitted to having them at home. Honestly, I only realized I hadn’t paid for them during the termination meeting.

The thing is, I used to collect work tools, such as printers, scanners, and devices, to return them to the charging station. I also collected trash and misplaced items to return to guest services so other team members could restock them. On a few occasions, I used Target bags to transport these items to the correct locations.

They have an image of me in the backroom, openly, in front of cameras and other team members, grabbing items from a cart I left for shipping and placing them in a bag. You can’t see exactly what I am grabbing from the image, but I am 100% sure it was work tools, my water bottle, and other personal belongings. I likely returned the devices and kept the bag with my personal items, like my water bottle and coffee mug.

That same day, I intended to buy a pair of socks and a small toy that I grabbed during my shift. After clocking out, I picked up more bulk items and went to checkout. Somehow, by accident, I failed to pay for the two small items I had with me earlier. It was an honest mistake; both items were worth less than $10 in total.

I did not steal. I’ve seen situations where moms leave the store without realizing their toddler is holding an unpaid item or when people forget items placed at the bottom of the cart. I understand being fired for my mistake, but the issue is that they are accusing me of another theft the following day.

They believe I stole a shirt, which the RFID scanner supposedly detected. However, I was told by an ETL that this type of shirt—an NBA shirt—isn’t scannable. They claimed I left with the shirt in a bag and didn’t make any purchases that day. However, I checked my app and confirmed that I bought food that day, so I left the store with a bag containing my purchases.

I understand they can fire me for missing the payment on two small items worth less than $10 from the prior day, but I did not take the shirt they accused me of stealing the next day. Why did they fabricate another accusation?

Can I request a correction to my termination record? I don’t want this misconduct on my file. Why didn’t they fire me for the two things I admitted to? I am so frustrated.

At the end of the day, it's the INTENT to steal that needs proof. If the case they have on you can prove that you intended to deprive Target of their merchandise, that is why you got canned. In your situation it seems like they were trying to get you before it became a bigger issue. A lot of times we would pull people on small stuff if we thought they could be testing the waters on how much they can get away with.

As far as the other theft goes, did you sign a paper admitting to the other theft? If so, that is on you for not sticking up for yourself. RFID is pretty accurate on what walks out the door without being paid for. It could be that they weren't completely sure and were trying to get you to incriminate yourself. AP cannot accuse you of a theft that you didn't commit, however AP utilizes wicklander interview methods to beat around accusing you and get you to tell on yourself. As far as your termination, there would be no point as you were fired for theft which is considered gross misconduct, I could be wrong but I believe that will bar you from rehire. As far as walking around the store that you like without being judged or looked at a certain way? You kinda did it to yourself lol, one of the things I always said when doing orientation to new hires is "Don't sh1T where you eat"...in a spot acceptable way of course.

EDIT: Can you provide more information on the shirt? This was brought into question for a reason. Did you select the shirt at any point? Did you select it and walk around with it are perhaps set it down in a place that it looked like you staged the item?

 

[allnew2]

I don’t intend to work at Target again, what I want to keep my reputation

Your reputation among Target is and will remain what you admitted to and that goes for any unemployment that you will try to collect due to being fired for misconduct.
Target won’t say you got fired for stealing 1,2,3-5-10 items all they will put in their file is theft. With that being said 1 or 10 items won’t make a difference on your reputation
No disrespect you also broke an other policy by shopping on the clock . Even tho you grabbed those 2 small things on your way to the time clock you were still on the clock.
It is what it is you can try an and collect unemployment but most likely you will be denied once target sends their file that you were terminated for misconduct.

 

[Walkonmyshoes]

At the end of the day, it's the INTENT to steal that needs proof. If the case they have on you can prove that you intended to deprive Target of their merchandise, that is why you got canned. In your situation it seems like they were trying to get you before it became a bigger issue. A lot of times we would pull people on small stuff if we thought they could be testing the waters on how much they can get away with.

As far as the other theft goes, did you sign a paper admitting to the other theft? If so, that is on you for not sticking up for yourself. RFID is pretty accurate on what walks out the door without being paid for. It could be that they weren't completely sure and were trying to get you to incriminate yourself. AP cannot accuse you of a theft that you didn't commit, however AP utilizes wicklander interview methods to beat around accusing you and get you to tell on yourself. As far as your termination, there would be no point as you were fired for theft which is considered gross misconduct, I could be wrong but I believe that will bar you from rehire. As far as walking around the store that you like without being judged or looked at a certain way? You kinda did it to yourself lol, one of the things I always said when doing orientation to new hires is "Don't sh1T where you eat"...in a spot acceptable way of course.

EDIT: Can you provide more information on the shirt? This was brought into question for a reason. Did you select the shirt at any point? Did you select it and walk around with it are perhaps set it down in a place that it looked like you staged the item?

Thank you for your input and clarification.

Have you ever had a device in your pocket, walked out of a store, and forgotten about it? Or a key? You know when you have something at the bottom of the cart, and as you’re loading your car, you forget what’s underneath and drive away? Or have you seen someone with a child leaving a store, only to realize their toddler is holding an unpaid candy bar? These things happen!

I did this to myself, and I’ll take the blame for it. But I won’t accept being labeled a thief for a shirt I did not steal. I can easily explain the accidental theft I committed, and I understand that this alone could justify my termination. However, I will not accept the allegation that this was a pattern, as if I were a recurring thief. It was just a pair of socks and a small toy—items I forgot to check out amidst all the larger purchases I was making after my shift that day.

Everyone picks up things during their shift—mostly snacks and drinks. There was a man who used to keep a basket under his cart for the things he planned to buy, and he worked there for eight years. I worked there for ten months. We were allowed to pay for items during breaks or after our shift. No one ever told us we couldn’t grab something—like a bag of chips for lunch—while we were on the clock.

One time, the store director was in the back room when I went to leave my cart before clocking out. I had something in the cart that I planned to purchase on my way out—something to eat. She asked me what it was, and I told her, “It’s mine. I’ll pay for it after I clock out.” She didn’t say anything. Why didn’t she tell me then that I couldn’t do that? Looking back, I think that was when they started investigating me and found that single incident from January 18.

Fine, I admit it. Whether mistakenly or not, I had $8 and some cents worth of unpaid merchandise. When AP showed me the footage, I recognized the items and admitted to it. I have no problem accepting termination for that—I messed up.

What I can’t accept is the accusation that I stole a shirt the very next day. According to them, I did, but I know that’s not true. I was handling multiple clothing items while working through a batch, so of course, I don’t remember exactly what I was picking up. They showed me a picture of myself folding a shirt before bagging it, then AP claimed I left for lunch with a bag that contained an NBA shirt. They said I didn’t purchase anything that day but was seen leaving the store with a bag.

Well, I checked my Target app, and I do have a purchase of food items on that day—around my lunch hour. I used to take my breaks in my car to eat lunch. So, of course, I was leaving the store for my 30-minute break holding a bag. They don’t have a picture of me taking the NBA shirt, bagging it, or walking out with it. They only showed me an Excel sheet with a description of an NBA shirt and claimed it was me.

Furthermore, an ETL who works there told me that the NBA shirts in that store aren’t RFID-scannable. This theft accusation was fabricated. Like you said, maybe they had suspicions and were trying to get me to admit to something else to establish a pattern. The AP kept saying that accidents happen, that they would overlook certain things, etc., but that the issue arises when there’s a pattern. When I asked how many incidents there were, she vaguely said “a few” but only showed me the file for the first incident. I kept pressing for more details, and finally, she said there was one more—the shirt incident.

Look, I was a team member who actually cared about the store and the shopping experience. Like I said, Target is my go-to store for almost everything. Most of my shifts started at 4 AM. As I worked on my batches, I would take misplaced merchandise and put it at the bottom of my cart to return it to guest services—so long as the batch wasn’t running late. I did this in almost all my batches.

We used to have a team leaders walk through the store every morning doing this, but not anymore. It’s no longer a consistent practice. I was picking up misplaced items and re-shopping at the same time. So, did that raise doubts about my behavior? Are they so used to lazy, careless team members that I became a suspect just for trying to keep the store organized?

Why add a false theft accusation to my file when they could have simply fired me for the accidental theft I admitted to? I want to review my termination letter and my records—it’s my legal right. But so far, they haven’t responded to my request.

 

[Walkonmyshoes]

Your reputation among Target is and will remain what you admitted to and that goes for any unemployment that you will try to collect due to being fired for misconduct.
Target won’t say you got fired for stealing 1,2,3-5-10 items all they will put in their file is theft. With that being said 1 or 10 items won’t make a difference on your reputation
No disrespect you also broke an other policy by shopping on the clock . Even tho you grabbed those 2 small things on your way to the time clock you were still on the clock.
It is what it is you can try an and collect unemployment but most likely you will be denied once target sends their file that you were terminated for misconduct.

I have another job, I am not trying to collect unemployment. I want the second theft to be removed from my file. I wish I had worked in a more organized target, bc EVERYONE had some item for themselves at some point in their cart… everyday I would find open candy, cookie boxes, open chips bags in the OPU cart. I don’t know if they were properly purchased or not, but that was a pattern for sure. I was never told I could not grab something to pay later. I used my good sense and ethical judgment to leave whatever I had on my to purchase outside TSA in a shelf, go inside, return my devices, clock out, get out of TSA grab the item and go pay. On my last shift I found a heater in the parking lot, forgotten in a cart. It was 10:30 pm, I went back to the store, ringed the bell, nobody came. On the next day I drove to Target just to give it back in case the guest comes back. Do you get it why I am no insistent in clear my name somehow? I can eventually laugh at mine distracted personality and tell my kids I was fired bc I forgot to pay for something. I can take a lesson from it. But I CAN NOT accept the theft of the shirt. I didn’t signed anything admiring that.

 

[Captain Orca]

Too much rambling rhetoric. Change your ways and move on.

 

[Walkonmyshoes]

Too much rambling rhetoric. Change your ways and move on.

Too much of the same story being replayed and answered to those who actually have something useful to say.

 

[Ringwraith917]

I want the second theft to be removed from my file.

It won't. They won't. Quit trying. Save yourself some time and frustration.
Remember this: Forgiveness is for you not for them.

 

[Walkonmyshoes]

It won't. They won't. Quit trying. Save yourself some time and frustration.
Remember this: Forgiveness is for you not for them.

You seems someone who knows what you are talking about. I have a foreign legal background, it quite easy to me read and understand legislation, but of course I don’t have training in American Labor
law, so maybe you may be able ton clarify for me: From what I understood, I have the right to a copy of my files and once I make a formal request they have 5 days to answer. Any ideia if they will comply with that? I made the request on Saturday.

 

[Captain Orca]

They have more attorneys and money than you do. Persistence is a good thing when there is a potential positive outcome. None here. Drop the issue. From your text you say you have a foreign legal background. Interesting that from the way you are presenting this case there are so many contradictions and run on sentences. "They" aren't going to waste their time, nor should you.

 

[Walkonmyshoes]

I don’t have to prove anything to you or expect that an internet forum will solve ‘my problems.’ All I’m looking for is insight from someone at Target with more experience in retail who can explain how these investigations work—why they needed to create another incident and possibly get me to confess to something when they didn’t have real proof. Your answers are useless. You didn’t believe me from my first post, so don’t waste your precious time on my case. No need to interact here. Thank you.