Lululemon Employees Catch Thugs Red-Handed, Call Police to Stop the Stealing. Their Reward? Termination

Employees at a Lululemon store in Peachtree Corners, Metro Atlanta, claim they were terminated after contacting the police to report looting incidents.

The store had been targeted by a group of masked burglars over the course of several weeks, causing distress among the staff.

According to one of the terminated employees, the decision to involve law enforcement was made following a series of robberies.

However, their actions were in direct violation of the company’s policy, which prohibits interference during such incidents. As a result, the employees were promptly dismissed from their positions.

MORE CORPORATE INSANITY: Two Lululemon @lululemon employees fired for calling the police on looters in an Atlanta, Georgia location pic.twitter.com/Hw781OgUHT

— • ᗰISᑕᕼIᗴᖴ ™ • (@4Mischief) May 26, 2023

The husband of one of the fired employees shared his frustration in a Facebook post, stating, “Approximately two weeks ago, my wife was terminated from her job at Lululemon for ‘breaking employee handbook policy’ of not interfering with a burglary. Lululemon representatives held a zoom call a few days after the incident to learn what Jenn knew about the policy. Then, a few days later, they scheduled a follow-up zoom call where they terminated her citing the company’s ‘zero tolerance policy’ in these situations. No warning. No coaching. No additional training. Just. Fired. Georgia being an at-will employment state, employers can do that whenever they wish. That is their right. But it doesn’t make it right. Especially in this situation.”

The terminated employees believe that their actions were justified in order to protect the store and its merchandise.

They argue that immediate termination without any prior warning or opportunity for improvement was unfair, particularly considering the circumstances.

Should these employees have been fired for what they did?

Lululemon has not released an official statement regarding the terminations at this time.

However, this incident has sparked a debate about the balance between company policies and employees’ efforts to safeguard their workplace.

Here’s more from 11Alive:

Two metro Atlanta women say they were fired from the Lululemon in Peachtree Corners for calling the police to report a robbery.

Jennifer Ferguson was the assistant manager at the time.

“All of a sudden we see some gentlemen run into the store in masks and hoodies,” Ferguson said, “They swiped until they couldn’t hold any more product and ran out the door.”

Rachel Rogers was a key leader at the time. She caught the robbery on camera.

“We didn’t really feel very protected or know what else to do,” Rogers said.

Rogers has been working for the company for five years. She says the Peachtree Corners location has been dealing with a string of thefts for months. She shared what happened during a separate incident.

No one at the store called the police during the other swipes. This time, Rogers and Ferguson called the authorities. However, Ferguson says this went against company policy.

Gwinnett Police Department confirmed to 11Alive that there have been a few robberies in the area. According to a police report, the three thieves at the Peachtree Corner’s LuLuLemon are now facing felony robbery charges.

However, Rogers and Ferguson were both fired. Both were given the same reasoning.

As this story unfolds, the affected employees and their supporters are raising concerns about the consequences of adhering strictly to policies that may overlook the greater need for security and protection.

The incident has ignited discussions about the rights of employees and the ethical responsibilities of employers in the face of criminal activities.

What are the implications of a company’s zero tolerance policy in situations like these?

I’m not patronizing @lululemon. Everyone now knows the company does not allow its employees to call police or even tell robbers to leave. It fired two women in Atlanta who told robbers to leave. So where do you think robbers will go now? Not safe in Lululemon. #AmericaFirst.

— Victoria Toensing (@VicToensing) May 28, 2023

Should employees be penalized for taking action to protect their workplace?

These questions remain at the forefront as Metro Atlanta residents and the wider public weigh in on the controversial firing of these Lululemon employees.

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