Archived If a team member see an abduction in the parking lot...

[Leonhart621]

Will the team member get fired if s/he intervenes?

I see a kid getting drag in to a parked car. Of course my first reaction will attack the abductor. Will i get fired whether I'm clocked in/out?

I'm positive we can't do any body contact to guests trying to steal when they get outside the store. How about things like abduction?

 

[Retail Girl]

I would call 911 immediately with a license plate number, description of the vehicle and what way they were headed. I know that doesn't quite answer your question, though.

 

[redeye58]

If on duty, I'd call clerical to call 911, followed by ETLs & AP.
If off duty, I'd call 911 & attempt to assist (unless I see a weapon).
Either way, get car/license plate/person descriptions.

 

[AssetsProtection]

If on duty, I'd call clerical to call 911, followed by ETLs & AP.
If off duty, I'd call 911 & attempt to assist (unless I see a weapon).
Either way, get car/license plate/person descriptions.

Best Practice...

Hey I thought you would be away for a while red 😉

 

[SomeBodysSlave]

Remember --- Spot cares about nothing -- but Spot -------- tremendous liability issues --

Unless your trained -- just remember a accurate description and if a car is involved color / make model / dents - dings and plate # --

Sometimes with these pervs - just screaming and running toward them - is enough to deter them --- they hate witnesses ---- till the next time --

I'm at a point now --- I don't give a rats-ass if Spot figures out who I am -- or not --

A few years ago - on the side of my store - I witnessed a man arguing with a women --- then he grabbed the boy from the back seat - and dragged him to his car --

I managed to get off the roof in time to stand behind his car -- as I called the cops - he got out - screaming and flapping his arms -- I think he was more pissed that I was laughing in his face ----- long story short - he had violated his court ordered - order of protection - from his soon to be ex-wifey --

In my case - if he decided to get frisky ----- no problem --- he had to lay hands on me first --- then its self-defence on my part --

The cops said I did a good thing -- the mother thanked me - a few days later her father stopped by and thanked me --

And that was nice ----

When I went back inside - I didn't say squat to anybody --

Two days later my STL came back from vacation - sat down next to me for morning coffee and said -- "What happened in the parking lot with the cops the other day" ?

After I told him - he said "Good job -- don't do it again" !

The next week I noticed my STL talking to the woman's father ----- it turns out -- the father lives two houses away from him - thats how he found out --------

 

[Leonhart621]

I'm nearsighted so getting the license from far away and description (other than the guy's black or white) will be difficult since I only wear my glasses when I drive.

98% sure my first reaction will try to save the kid rather than calling 911 or ETLs first.

 

[STLinMaking]

The best option as many people have already mentioned is to call 911 and get a description. I'd suggest starting to yell at the abductor just to draw the attention to others. But to answer your question, yes you can and will be fired if you lay a hand on a guest or any person while on the clock or dressed in red and kaki come from or going to work. Sounds stupid, but it's one of those fine print things....

 

[redeye58]

Hey I thought you would be away for a while red 😉

Yup, & now I'm back for awhile.
Taking care of family matters.
Details are in the "Off the clock" thread.

 

[Leonhart621]

The best option as many people have already mentioned is to call 911 and get a description. I'd suggest starting to yell at the abductor just to draw the attention to others. But to answer your question, yes you can and will be fired if you lay a hand on a guest or any person while on the clock or dressed in red and kaki come from or going to work. Sounds stupid, but it's one of those fine print things....

Yea that's what I thought. You try to do something good, you get fired for it

 

[redeye58]

Yeh, well with spot no good deed EVER goes unpunished.

 

[SomeBodysSlave]

Yea that's what I thought. You try to do something good, you get fired for it

Did you read in the news what happened to that life-guard in Fla ---

http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/05/us/florida-lifeguard-fired/index.html

 

[naterstx]

I don't care about my job (or any job) enough to watch as an innocent child is abducted. Those sicko's could rape, or murder that poor kid and I'm not going to stand by and let it happen.

At the end of the day I have to look at myself in the mirror and reconcile the things I do in life. Watching that happen will never be one of them.

However, to answer your question, yes, you'd be fired.

 

[commiecorvus]

I wouldn't be thinking about my job or best practices.
Phone out, 911, give them as much info as they need to get there while I'm yelling at the guy to put the kid down and running towards him.
If he doesn't then I'm doing something that will get me fired.

 

[pzychopopgroove]

**** best practices or my employment, I'm going to beat the **** out of the abductor as worse as I possibly can...

 

[StateofTarget]

Will the team member get fired if s/he intervenes?

I see a kid getting drag in to a parked car. Of course my first reaction will attack the abductor. Will i get fired whether I'm clocked in/out?

I'm positive we can't do any body contact to guests trying to steal when they get outside the store. How about things like abduction?

In this situation, you need to use your own best judgement and not worry about Target rules. If the situation is that you are in a position to help, then do it.

So you might lose a job paying minimum wage that is easily replaced. Is it worth a 10 year old getting raped and murdered?

You are not allowed to touch a "guest". A murderer, rapist, child molester, trying to kidnap from the parking lot is not a "guest" - it's a criminal.

Here is what the newspaper headlines will read - two possibilities.

"John Doe, a cart attendant at Target, saved the life of a 10 year old kidnapped in the parking lot of a Target Today"

OR

"John Doe, a cart attendant at Target, allowed a 10 year old to be kidnapped, raped, and murdered today and did nothing to help"

Option 1 might get you fired at Target. But guess what? You will easily get another job, especially once word gets around your community you saved someones life. Employers will probably be the ones calling you asking you to work for them.

Option 2? You get to keep your job, get labeled a coward for life (and rightfully so), and get to live with knowing someone died because you didn't want to risk your job. But hey, you're still working at Target for $8/hour so it must be worth it.

A few years ago we had a domestic incident at work. (basically a TM got caught by her husband cheating with someone at work) One day that TM suddenly stopped coming to work, and there was a rumor her husband did something to her. A TL at our store got her address from the HR rolodex and went to check on her. When he got there, he knocked on the door and she yelled out for him to help. He kicked in the door and found her tied up and badly beaten. The husband wasn't there and was at work.

He ended up getting fired from Target, but guess what happened after that? A police sergeant ended up calling him after the incident and asked him to apply to the police academy. That TL is now a cop, and what he did was in the papers here.

 

[greydot]

Someone at my store almost got in trouble for something similar.

 

[Leonhart621]

Definetely option 1 for me, SoT.

I don't care if I lose my job, getting the child to safety is my main concern.

I created the topic because I saw something in youtube about a good samaritan who stopped a kid getting abducted. I also know about the lifeguard incident and how he got fired.

Was curious if Target actually will fire me or any TM trying to stop an incident that will cause harm to others.

I'm a person who's willing to help others even if I put myself in danger.

 

[redeye58]

A groc store at a nearby town fired a cart guy for chasing down a purse snatcher & recovering an elderly lady's purse.
Despite the outcry, they wouldn't rehire him but he did get a job offer elsewhere.
Bad PR for the groc chain but it didn't last long.

 

[MrMrIce]

Are you sure it was an abduction? I see parents dragging their crying kids to the car when the kids misbehave inside the store ALL THE TIME.

 

[FormerSpecialist]

a few years ago i had a TPS tell me they weren't allowed to perform CPR or otherwise touch a guest that may be in distress. is there any truth to this? does this include team members? i should know this since i've been around so long but i've never had anything except minor accidents happen while i'm around...

 

[tellmeaboutatime]

My job or a kid being abducted? Kid wins (even though I can't stand most of them) I could never live with myself if I saw something like that. I called the cops from the service desk phone on a very hot summer day when a woman left her 2 kids in the car with the windows rolled up while she shopped. I gave a detailed description of the car along with the license plate #. Cops were there within 3 minutes and unlocked the car. They waited in the lot for the woman. I have no idea what happened after that, but I would do it again in a minute. Target may own my life but not my soul.

 

[redeye58]

Are you sure it was an abduction? I see parents dragging their crying kids to the car when the kids misbehave inside the store ALL THE TIME.

Had a lady come up to SD to point out a man hauling out a kicking, screaming 7-yr old girl over his shoulder, certain that he was abducting her. When the TM refused to call the police, the lady grabbed an LOD who looked & shook his head. Said he knew it was her father because a) they lived on his street & b) the resigned look on the father's face.

 

[invictustaylor]

I would probably do like I always do and follow best practice to a T. If I thought I could drive sales and deliver a better guest expirience, I would help open the perpetrators car doors and thank them for being our guest at Target.

Of course I would then partner with hr and see if we could have a fundraiser where we pressure hourly workers into donating money into a missing children fund or something. I dunno lol, i'd exploit the **** out of that fundraiser so that Target could get more money baby. money money money i love money so much it has a special place in my heart.
















lol just kidding, i'm a volunteer crossing guard, i'm highly trained to defuse situations like that. I might risk revealing my true identity to corporate by sharing this, but I will say I have my hands registered with the state because I am such a professional fighter.

 

[PTTM]

I wouldn't be thinking about my job or best practices.
Phone out, 911, give them as much info as they need to get there while I'm yelling at the guy to put the kid down and running towards him.
If he doesn't then I'm doing something that will get me fired.

*THIS* I am a parent so 100% THIS

 

[wageslave1138]

There is risk either way. I'd rather err on the side of the kid. If the kid is just a brat, screaming and kicking, the officer will figure that out. If not, you have rescued a kid.