Possible discrimination case brewing…
I worked nine years for this company. On December 14, 2008, (four days after my anniversary), I was taken into the office where I was questioned by two loss prevention associates - one from my store and one from regional. They told me I had been taking items into the breakroom that they were pretty sure I hadn’t paid for.
I was told that I had taken or consumed items throughout my four years at this particular store, and I was going to come to an agreement and a dollar amount to pay them back over one year. If I didn’t come up with a dollar amount and sign a restitution agreement, they would prosecute me for the full four years. They told me, “We’re going to assume that you have consumed or stolen 15-20 dollars or merchandise a week for a total of $1000.” I was to make payments of $100.00 for 10 months.
I agreed and signed the note under pressure of being prosecuted…Then I was given a paper to write my side of the story and to ask to keep my job…the paper was given to overnight management and within a minute I was fired. Only after signing papers were the charges filled in the blank spaces. They later used this paper as my admission of guilt. I filed for unemployment, which I received because Wal-Mart had no proof of my crime. Then they appealed that decision and we had an unemployment hearing, which they lost again. They said they had proof but showed up with nothing. I was smart enough to hire an attorney. After months of hearing nothing from the lawyer’s office, I called and they have no record of anything from Wal-Mart concerning payments. So Wal-Mart used the restitution note as a way of bullying me into signing, thus admitting guilt. There have been at least seven female employees fired within the last year with similar cases…all with six or more years of service…are we seeing a trend here? I’m getting unemployment benefits but I’ve lost my medical, dental and life insurance. My lawyers are now working on a discrimination case that could possibly turn into a class action. It’s not fair.
- Rhonda Geissinger
