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Lululemon boss defends firing staff over foiling robbery bid, ‘they didn’t follow rules'
Discover the controversy surrounding Lululemon as two employees are fired for calling the police during a robbery, and CEO Calvin McDonald's defense.
Lululemon, the renowned athleisure brand, has been making headlines after the controversial termination of two employees who called the police during a robbery at one of their Georgia stores.
CEO Calvin McDonald has defended the company's decision, citing their "zero-tolerance policy" regarding employee intervention in theft situations as the reason for the dismissals.
During an interview on CNBC's "Squawk on the Street," Calvin stated, "We have a zero-tolerance policy that we train our educators on around engaging during a theft," referring to its employees as "educators."
McDonald clarified that the two female employees, one of whom held the position of assistant manager, were not fired specifically for contacting the authorities but rather for failing to comply with company policy, which discourages employees from confronting thieves directly.
The terminated employees, Jennifer Ferguson and Rachel Rogers, claimed that they were aware of the policy and were let go without receiving specific reasons for their termination. They also alleged that they were not provided with severance pay.
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Ferguson stated in an interview with 11Alive that they were questioned by a regional manager regarding their decision to involve the police before being fired from their positions. She further revealed that employees were instructed to scan a QR code following a robbery and avoid documenting the incident in written notes to prevent causing fear among other staff members. Ferguson expressed that they were explicitly instructed not to contact the police or discuss the incident.
In response, McDonald defended the policy, asserting, "Because we put the safety of our team, of our guest, front, and center. It's only merchandise." He emphasized, “They’re trained to step back, left the theft occur, know that there’s technology and there’s cameras and we’re working with law enforcement.”
The now-viral video of the incident showed Lululemon employees allegedly breaking the company's policy by engaging with the robbers, even following them outside the store.
McDonald repeatedly emphasized that Lululemon upholds a "zero-tolerance policy" regarding employee involvement in store robberies and stressed the necessity of enforcing it to ensure the safety of employees.
“We take that policy seriously because we have had instances-and we have seen with 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,” McDonald stated.
A spokesperson for the Vancouver-based retailer reiterated that Ferguson and Rogers were terminated for physically engaging with the perpetrators, which jeopardized their own lives, and the safety of customers, and other employees.
The spokesperson clarified that employees are allowed and instructed to call 911 when necessary, and that this was not the cause of termination in this case.
The company referred to its policy titled "Employee Response to External Theft," which explicitly states its zero-tolerance stance on pursuing or physically engaging with a thief. Employees are instructed to call 911 immediately after suspects have left the store in the case of a break-in robbery.
The shocking video footage captured three masked individuals brazenly robbing a Lululemon store in Peachtree Corners, metro Atlanta.
The thieves, wearing hooded sweatshirts, swiftly grabbed high-priced athletic wear from tables and displays. This incident marked the latest in a series of alleged robberies at the same store.
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In the video, the perpetrators momentarily paused in the store doorway, making eye contact with the employees before swiftly making their exit.
Ferguson can be heard shouting at the robbers, “Seriously? Get out,” but they dismissively respond with derogatory remarks, “Chill, b**ch, shut you a*s up.”
While the employees followed the looters outside and observed their getaway car, they refrained from physically confronting them.
The robbery was promptly reported to the Gwinnett Police Department, who subsequently apprehended the thieves and charged them with felony robbery
