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Two former employees of workout gear retail chain Lululemon claimed they were fired after intervening during a robbery in progress at their store.
Video shows the employees confronting three men wearing masks and hoods who were stealing merchandise from the store in Peachtree Corners, Georgia.
The employees can be heard saying "no" and "get out" to the robbers.
They then followed the men outside after they left the store with the stolen merchandise.
\u201cLululemon employees say they were fired for breaking store policy after calling police to report a robbery\u201d— Citizen Free Press (@Citizen Free Press) 1685373276
The employees have since been identified as Jennifer Ferguson and Rachel Rogers.
The two claimed they were tterminatedjust for contacting the police after the robbery, but Lululemon has since clarified they were let go for violating company policy that forbids employees from intervening if the store is being robbed.
Many conservatives online latched onto the claim Ferguson and Rogers were fired for calling the police as an excuse to harangue the company for its perceived "wokeness."
Most retail stores have a similar policy about confronting robbers, both to protect their employees from harm and to prevent potentially expensive lawsuits if an employee were injured or killed because they intervened.
Lululemon CEO Calvin McDonald told CNBC:
"We have a zero-tolerance policy that we train our educators on around engaging a theft."
"We take that policy seriously because we have had instances—and we have seen other retailers—instances where employees step in and are hurt, or worse, killed."
"And the policy is to protect them."
"But we have to stand behind the policy to enforce it"
\u201c"The [employees] knowingly broke the policy, engaged with the thieves...that was what resulted in the termination."\n\nLululemon CEO Calvin McDonald on backlash after firing staff who intervened in store robbery.\n\n@CNBC @SaraEisen $LULU\u201d— Squawk on the Street (@Squawk on the Street) 1685720673
Many decried Lululemon as "woke" and somehow un-American—despite the logical explanation for the company policy and Ferguson and Rogers' firing.
\u201cThis what Calvin McDonald looks like. He is the CEO of Lululemon and he is standing by his decision to fire 2 employees who simply called the cops on robbers stealing from their store.\n\nHis extreme virtue signaling and self-pity will put thousands of employees at risk and cost\u2026\u201d— Matt Wallace (@Matt Wallace) 1686032700
\u201cLululemon wants to erode the character of America\n\nThis is admission they're actively in on the ruin. Spend your dollars accordingly.\u201d— James David Dickson (@James David Dickson) 1685998331
\u201c@CollinRugg I guess I won't be purchasing anymore @lululemon gift cards anymore. We do not support #woke companies!\u201d— Collin Rugg (@Collin Rugg) 1685999705
Some more reasonable people pointed out McDonald never said the company wouldn't press charges against the shoplifters, just that company policy is employees shouldn't confront thieves—a standard retail policy.
\u201cThe comments are unhinged. The anti woke brigade want to cancel Lululemon for having a no tolerance policy that prioritises the health and safety of staff over saving some money.\n\nMakes zero sense\u201d— Ex-NOVID Petty Princess (@Ex-NOVID Petty Princess) 1686030271
\u201cthe reason Lululemon, specifically, might be hardcore about a zero tolerance policy for employees confronting shoplifters is that about a decade ago one of its employees confronted another one of its employees for shoplifting and was brutally beaten and stabbed to death\u201d— post malone ergo propter malone (@post malone ergo propter malone) 1686012444
\u201c@AdamLowisz @nypost This guy didn\u2019t even say they won\u2019t prosecute, just that they don\u2019t want their employees chasing the suspects. That\u2019s basically standard retail policy.\u201d— New York Post (@New York Post) 1685995765
\u201c@SquawkStreet @heatherhunterdc @CNBC @SaraEisen I don't know what is so hard about this. Employees in any retail store, especially large corporations, are told to not engage anyone commiting a robbery. You put not only yourself but other employees and shoppers at risk over a few hundred dollars of cash and/or merchandise.\u201d— Squawk on the Street (@Squawk on the Street) 1685720673
Whether companies are more worried about their employees or their bottom line, it makes sense to train retail employees not to intervene in the case of a robbery.
With the easy access to firearms, too many things can go incredibly wrong.