Thief Of 26P(26.5) Lands Hungry Worker In Jail

[Call me bubba]

when i 1st read this story,

I was truly :Mad:123 . I will keep my comments brief

26.50pesos and he is in jail for eating chips. which he could have paid for,

I understand that stores MUST be on the look for thievery,But :omg:

It seemed like a stiff price to pay for a minor indiscretion, but rules are rules.

For eating a bag of potato chips worth P26.50 he allegedly stole while on duty, an 18-year-old “bagger” of a popular supermarket chain in Sampaloc, Manila, spent Christmas Day in jail.

He is still under detention.

A report signed by Superintendent James Afalla, Sampaloc station commander, said Erwin Pallan had been charged by SM Savemore for qualified theft for stealing a bag of potato chips.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer tried to talk to Pallan in his detention cell Wednesday afternoon but was reportedly barred from doing so by Afalla, according to Senior Inspector Antonio Naag.

“The chief (Afalla) said he could not be interviewed because he had already been subjected to an inquest,” Naag said.

Naag also could not produce any document to show why Pallan was still in jail three days after he was caught eating the chips.

According to Pallan’s coworkers who visited him in jail Wednesday, his parents had appealed to the supermarket’s management to forgive their son, especially since it was Christmas.

“Management won’t really agree to this because eating on the job, even it is just a piece of candy, is a ground for termination,” a coworker of Pallan, who declined to be identified, told the Inquirer.

She said that based on Pallan’s statement to the security guards “he was tempted and was not able to resist the chips.”

After Pallan was caught, all the supermart’s employees were again required to attend a whole day orientation on company policies, she added.

“Employees were repeatedly informed during the orientation that eating is not allowed, even candy, when on duty. Doing so is a ground for termination, we were told.”

Based on the police report, Pallan was caught by a security guard eating the chips at around 5:42 p.m. on Dec. 24.

After a report of the incident was relayed to the management, Pallan was immediately arrested and brought to the police station.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/330477/eating-on-job-proves-costly-for-grocery-bagger

my worry now is what about for those who have children

,(we cant watch them every second)

they open a "cracker" or package of chips.

Will they arrest us? for "stealing"?

back in the real world, I have seen that the "store-loss prevention" officer will kindly inform them that the "child" has ate XX and remind them to pay upon check out. again that does depend on a persons attitude

[Dave Hounddriver]

Now I feel bed. When I was 18 I was a bagger for a major supermarket chain just like this guy. I was also unable to resist eating the 'broken' product like potato chips and sometimes even helped the bag to break. I was old enough to know I would get fired if caught but no one would have ever been thrown in jail for that. The union would have shut the place down. I worked in Canada and this is Philippines but imagine what strong unions would do for the laborers in this country.

[i am bob]

So no more "sampling" the grapes...

[TheMason]

Now I feel bed. When I was 18 I was a bagger for a major supermarket chain just like this guy. I was also unable to resist eating the 'broken' product like potato chips and sometimes even helped the bag to break. I was old enough to know I would get fired if caught but no one would have ever been thrown in jail for that. The union would have shut the place down. I worked in Canada and this is Philippines but imagine what strong unions would do for the laborers in this country.

So, you're saying we need strong unions so employees can steal from their employers with impunity?

I used to manage restaurants and I've had numerous employees arrested for theft over the years. Some if it was large amounts, some small. Some was cash, some was food. In every single case of theft that I had direct evidence for I called the police and had the employee arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. In one case, the employee stole a case of chocolate cakes by taking it out the back door and putting it in his car. He was on parole and was violated and sent back to jail to complete the remaining 3 years on his sentence. I had no sympathy for him then or now.

My bonus and compensation were based in part on how well I controlled costs, especially inventory shrinkage. I was not going to let a thief take away my bonus or harm my compensation or future with the company. If they were not able to control themselves from stealing, then to hell with them. They deserve what they got.

This guy's punishment was harsh, but I'll be you he doesn't steal from his employer any more...assuming he manages to find another job with this on his record.

[sonjack2847]

The punishment should fit the crime come on 3 days for 26.5 peso! I have had things stolen from me in the past but would not want someone`s life ruined over such a small amount. He could have been suspended for a couple of days and the message would have gotten across. I wonder if that store pays the minimum wage which is required by law, in my experience they don`t and I wonder if they would get the same treatment if reported. Maybe the police could have investigated a more serious crime rather than wasting their time for 26.5 peso. Everybody is entitled to make a few small mistakes in their life those people who don`t make mistakes don`t do anything. I don`t condone any type of crime but we have to put things in prospective.

[Dave Hounddriver]

Reading the reply from TheMason as well as the opening post and I feel like I am reading Dickens. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. The civility which money will purchase is rarely extended to those who have none. The first rule of business is: Do other men for they would do you. Are there no prisons?

Need I go on? This is not the 1800s

[Jake]

I don`t condone any type of crime but we have to put things in prospective.

Need I go on? This is not the 1800s

I agree with the quotations above. I voted that it was none of my business regarding store policy.

However, if I was the store owner I would make everyone read-understand my policy about store

pilferage with zero tolerance -- first offense, he/she will get the pink slip immediately.

Apparently, the store did enforce and periodically review their policies, especially not eating at all

while on duty. I assume the young 18 year old was very hungry to break both rules: eating and

stealing. In this case, I don't think it was necessary to have the police involved. However, if it was

a big ticket item worth more than 500 pesos, I would be down on him like stink on chit. Police?

Nah.....I would rather take care of it myself. Feed the hungry teenager and then slam the door

knob up his butt.....he, he.

Jungle rules apply here -- Jake

[JJReyes]

The value of the merchandise taken is immaterial. It is still theft. The punishment is a different matter. We can debate wheter or not it is too harsh. From the perspective of the property's owner, any employee caught stealing merchandise, including a package of potato chips, should be terminated. So long as parents declare to the cashier that their childred opened a package and consumed food, there is no harm done. However, the cashier should remind the parents that this is against store policy. Juvenile shoplifters should be made to pay three times the retail value of the merchandise. The usual procedure is to detain them until a parent shows up and pay 3x price. Professional shoplifters should be arrested and prosecuted.

Everytime stealing occurs in a store, we all pay in the form of higher prices.

[i am bob]

I have a whole bunch of agrees and not agrees on this one...

First off, I am anti-union too - in a First World country. Here they are just to make as much money for themselves off the backs of those they represent and they really do not care at all for their members. I had to live with it once but never again.

Second - 3 days jail time is ridiculous for the crime. Fired - yes. One day of 8 hours maybe sitting it out - yes. Myself? I would have taken him into the office and find out why he did it. If his answer was a smart ass answer? Gone. If he just broke down because he was starving? A good talking to and maybe even a dress down in front of the rest of the staff and then some time off for bad behaviour to get the point across but that's about it. If he was starving because he had no food? Even lighter - make him feel bad and tell him to see me next time he was tempted and we could work something out - maybe. I wouldn't want someone expecting to come to me because they had the munchies only.

Third - as this was a small ticket item, see above. If it had been something worth a few pesos? Fired and prosecuted. Don't care if he is an amateur or professional thief, I can't afford to have big time theft in any store I manage,

The big thing is I don't want my staff stealing from me. I don't want the staff thinking they can break rules. But I do want the staff to be reasonably happy with their jobs and if they have a request, they can always ask me. A happy store is a lower loss store. An angry store will self-destruct.

[Mike S]

Hummmmmmm .... interesting ..... you can tell who has been in management and who has not .... so p26.5 is no big deal huh ??? .... well I have 100 employees and they each decide to steal a bag of p26.5 chips ... now it becomes P2650 ..... or say Mary decides to steal 2 bags of chips .... only p53 .... doesn't sound like much but multiplied over the coarse of a year and it adds up .... but then who cares .... I just raise the cost of my merchandise to cover the cost of theft and guess who pays for it .... you and I .... when we were doing our yearly budgets for the co. I worked for we were told that each department should add in 3.5% to cover the cost of theft .... believe me company theft has a snowballing effect .... once someone finds out he can get away with eating a pack of chips he will eat your caviar and fine wine next ...... :hystery: :hystery:

An example is the best deterrent and also a motivator ...... :thumbsup: .....

As for him still being in jail you guys should know by now how that works here in the Phils .... no such thing as swift justice (unless someone THINKS you caused a fire) .... some people remain in jail for months or years waiting for their day in court .... while this crime may be petty it is still a crime .... would I have put him in jail ..... nope .... I would have fired him on the spot .... :cheersty: