Apple Retail Employees Alleged to be Treated as 'Criminals' in Bag Check Lawsuit

[MVallee]

Years ago I saw an employee getting his bag searched at the Apple Store before they left. It didn't seem like a big deal and I think it's pretty understandable. The Apple Store sells lots of highly priced things, most of which are small enough to easily sneak off with.

 

[the8thark]

Apple makes sure it's employees do not steal it's products. And people complain about it. Ungrateful lot they are. It's every store's right to have anti theft measures. If you don't like it, don't work for Apple. That simple.

 

[webbuzz]

So, let me get this straight. Any person off the street can just waltz in, grab something off the shelf and walk out under the premise they checked themselves out (and they are trusted to do so) but Apple is searching their own employees? Seems backwards to me.

Employee theft is a large percentage of inventory shrinkage, many times more than shoplifters.

 

[webbuzz]

Apple makes sure it's employees do not steal it's products. And people complain about it. Ungrateful lot they are. It's every store's right to have anti theft measures. If you don't like it, don't work for Apple. That simple.

Agreed.

One of the corporations that I worked for did bag checks at all facilities. Purses, briefcases (I am old ), backpacks, etc.. It wasn't uncommon to see employees and visitors (vendors and clients) show frustration and deny access to their bags. The employees only complained once.

 

[Kal-037]

I think Apple doing a check is necessary considering the products are such high value. I don't think it's all Apple's fault that the employees filing complaints are so uncomfortable... but perhaps it's more of the immediate supervisors/managers or the person doing the checking that is causing it to be a hassle and embarrassing, (instead of professional.)



Kal.

 

[phillipduran]

You should be compensated for anytime you spend doing something the company requested. You are responsible for getting yourself to work. Once you are there, if you need to count drawers, open up, setup, unpack, stow stuff away or anything else, it should be done on the clock and you should be paid you hourly wage for doing that. I hear all the time that people are expected to show up 10 minutes before their shift to count a drawer's cash and then when their shift starts on the hour is when they start getting paid. This employee to employer charity needs to be stopped.

 

[montgomeryr]

This seems so bizarre, just so this is right in my head; Apple managers check their employees bags? That's horrible.

Is retail different in the US. In Canada customers are often humiliated on the way in and out of big box stores. They check bags ,compare receipts to goods and generally treat you like a criminal. I always refuse to return to stores like that. Being an employee treated like a crook is almost as bad.

 

[winston1236]

Way back when I worked retail bag checks happened every day when someone left shift, its common in the US mainly because almost half of all theft is by employees in retail. Of course they are paid almost nothing and raises are pennies a year so the companies invite it.

 

[winston1236]

Is retail different in the US. In Canada customers are often humiliated on the way in and out of big box stores. They check bags ,compare receipts to goods and generally treat you like a criminal. I always refuse to return to stores like that. Being an employee treated like a crook is almost as bad.

Ha you should go to a US Sam's Club, its the same process. It's the one place I've been discriminated against by the people at the door.

 

[iPhysicist]

So, let me get this straight. Any person off the street can just waltz in, grab something off the shelf and walk out under the premise they checked themselves out (and they are trusted to do so) but Apple is searching their own employees? Seems backwards to me.

I assume they look suspicious when dancing into an out of the store. But maybe that's the way to go for those thiefs.

 

[Joey Black]

I worked retail 11 years ago and this was common practice do discourage theft. What's different?

 

[Jacquesvw]

.

 

[willisbr]

When I was a deputy, I don't recall seeing a time clock outside of the jail. You stow your weapon in a locker, go through a scan, and enter. Then you clock in. Easy. Leave your bag at home. The court found that your belongings are not part of the job functioning and so they won't find sympathy that you're not getting paid for it to get sifted through. Let's explode this further. How about an apple employee bring a shopping cart full of their belongings to their next shift. Have it take an hour for it to all be gone through. Then let's count how many Apple employees think it would be fair for THAT person to receive compensation during that search. Sounds stupid right? So is your purse or man satchel. Leave it at home.

 

[aristobrat]

When my girlfriend used to work in high-end retail she never had her bags searched.

At the mall Apple Store I worked at, the "inventory" was in the back of the store, in the same common area used by the employees for training, email, breaks, etc.

I could other retailers putting their inventory in a separate/secure area and not needing feeling the need to check their employee bags, but that's now how Apple designed his mall store.

The only time we had bag checks done in front of customers was if we tried to leave the Back of House without having it done, and got stopped by a manager on the sales floor. Still find it hard for me to imagine an employee that didn't have other grudges against a store truly felt like they were being treated as a "criminal", though. But every store/atmosphere is different, so who knows.

 

[iPhysicist]

Here in South Africa customer's bags are checked when you leave a store as well, we just live with it because that's the price you pay when a large number of the population are criminals.

Uuhhhhhhhhh... You mean poor because of the segregation called apartheid and the problems that came with it? I know hat they have a lot of crime in Johannesburg but that's hard to believe.

To speak of criminals... You could say that if you where an Australian but...

( /jk I love Australia and its people. But we all know it was a prison colony. Viva Austalia)

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

I worked at a grocery store for 3 years. The policy was you immediately dropped your bag off in a locker in the break room when you got to the store, and you didn't pick it up until you left. You were never able to have personal bags with you while you were by the merchandise, so there was no way for merchandise to end up in your bag.

This seems like an incredibly obvious solution to me - what reason would an employee have to have their personal bag on them in the storeroom or on the floor? The only time you might want your bag / anything in it is during a break, right?

 

[jdoll021]

I have to say, I love all of the "everyone does it so it must be ok" sentiment around here. Yes, if everyone got mugged, then that would be ok to right?

And let's face it... if you have nothing to hide, what's the problem...

That's like saying you should give up free speech because you have nothing to say!

 

[jdoll021]

I worked at a grocery store for 3 years. The policy was you immediately dropped your bag off in a locker in the break room when you got to the store, and you didn't pick it up until you left. You were never able to have personal bags with you while you were by the merchandise, so there was no way for merchandise to end up in your bag.

This seems like an incredibly obvious solution to me - what reason would an employee have to have their personal bag on them in the storeroom or on the floor? The only time you might want your bag / anything in it is during a break, right?

Careful, you are in danger of making sense! We can't have any of that now!

 

[Jacquesvw]

.

 

[KdParker]

This seems so bizarre, just so this is right in my head; Apple managers check their employees bags? That's horrible.

How? If you can walkout with unlocked iPhones, headphones, etc then why would you not expect to have your bag searched before you leave.

While most employees wouldn't steal, there are those that would.

 

[horsebattery]

I have to say, I love all of the "everyone does it so it must be ok" sentiment around here. Yes, if everyone got mugged, then that would be ok to right?
That's like saying you should give up free speech because you have nothing to say!

Strawman. It is expected that businesses which deal with high-value merchandise (among other sectors) are likely to have in place one or more forms of security checks, whether it's background investigation as a contingent of employment, bag checks, etc. But that isn't the question at hand here - it is whether performing those checks and mistreating the employees in the process is unlawful.

 

[WB2Colorado]

Is this a US-thing perhaps? When my girlfriend used to work in high-end retail she never had her bags searched. We live in the UK. I don't think we do drugs/urine tests either (which I always thought was a little invasive. I wouldn't work anywhere that demanded I gave them urine samples).

I know a few people who work in retail and, yeah, it is pretty common here.
Unfortunately in the US you basically won't be able to find a job unless you agree to do drug testing. They are out there but they usually don't pay very much.

 

[KdParker]

No, that's not what I meant and South Africa had less crime during Apartheid. I'm not saying Apartheid was better or right, but it's long gone and cant be blamed today anymore. It's still blamed due to good marketing by the politicians in South Africa and the rest of the world is falling for their lies.

Best not speak about something you don't understand and do you know about.

Wow..seen this conversation before in the US with the effects of slavery even after slavery was abolished.

But this seems waaay off topic for this thread.

 

[aristobrat]

This seems like an incredibly obvious solution to me - what reason would an employee have to have their personal bag on them in the storeroom or on the floor? The only time you might want your bag / anything in it is during a break, right?

At the mall Apple Store I worked at, the employee break room and store room were the same big room. Only the Genius Room and Manager's Office were separately boxed out in that area.

 

[Jacquesvw]

.