Today they asked me to dump garbage in our stockroom and in one of our trash bins, I found 2 packages of unopened chocolate chip cookies and a busted open 12 pack of coke. (Some cans were leaking, so I took the unopened ones). The cookies were expired by a couple days. I took them from the trash bin and put them aside to place in my car and drank 2 out of the 5 cans of coke. I was caught by the booth clerk and now am sitting in the boss's office waiting for him to come and talk to me. Can I still get in trouble for "theft" even though it technically isnt? (Was inside the trash bin) if its trash, what does it matter if I take it or not.
Technically it's not against the law. However, Kroger thinks differently. Depending on your manager, you may or may not be called on theft. Coke? You are not supposed just to toss it out. Coke gets put back with the other coke products in the back room so they can get credited out. Whomever put the coke in the trash bin either didnt know where it goes, was too lazy to credit it out, or didnt know what to do and took the easy way. Or maybe they wanted to hide it and take it for themselves but you got to it first. As for the cookies, even if you don't get credit back, they are usually sent to donations. Your store gets a tax credit or something...so yeah that is theft as well. At our store, management will mash up the cookies with something inedible with the sole purpose of preventing people taking what gies in the trash. Usually they put it in the back room for us to eat. But if not, the cookies get mashed up and put in compost, or mixed in with something inedible to prevent you from eating it. Sometimes we will donate the cookies as well.
Why dumpsterdive or take cookies out of the trash that's meant for the dumpster? How are you going to pay for a doctor visit when you loose your job if you need medical attention for esting something that you shouldnt have?
-- Edited by mega-kitteh on Wednesday 5th of February 2020 08:38:09 PM
My store tossed out all the Corona beer in a preventive effort to stop the possible spread of the coronavirus in my area. Would it be stealing if I were to retrieve it from the dumpster after my shift? Also, how many could I safely consume without contracting the coronavirus? I intend to share with friends and neighbors so, I probably won't consume more than a 12 pack myself. Thanks!
One time in the deli someone got screamed at for taking a tiny sample of a new salad. It was in one of the little sample cups and it was less than 10 cents of food. (It was a very light salad.) The store manager saw and threatened them that it counted as theft. Mind you, we give out samples to the customers all the time, and sometimes we're even encouraged by our department head to try new stuff so we can make recommendations to customers. Which is what the person was doing.
Kroger is really ridiculous about theft sometimes.
One time in the deli someone got screamed at for taking a tiny sample of a new salad. It was in one of the little sample cups and it was less than 10 cents of food. (It was a very light salad.) The store manager saw and threatened them that it counted as theft. Mind you, we give out samples to the customers all the time, and sometimes we're even encouraged by our department head to try new stuff so we can make recommendations to customers. Which is what the person was doing.
Kroger is really ridiculous about theft sometimes.
If hes gonna be all anal about less than .10 cents worth of salad in a sample cup, hed probably loose his sh*t and explode if he caught OP taking stuff out of the garbage.
One time in the deli someone got screamed at for taking a tiny sample of a new salad. It was in one of the little sample cups and it was less than 10 cents of food. (It was a very light salad.) The store manager saw and threatened them that it counted as theft. Mind you, we give out samples to the customers all the time, and sometimes we're even encouraged by our department head to try new stuff so we can make recommendations to customers. Which is what the person was doing.
Kroger is really ridiculous about theft sometimes.
We were always told encouraged by deli merchandising to sample new products so we could make recommendations. They do allow a certain amount to be scanned out as samples. Also, there are some things that have to be seasoned to taste. The keyword here being taste.
Technically it's not against the law. However, Kroger thinks differently. Depending on your manager, you may or may not be called on theft. Coke? You are not supposed just to toss it out. Coke gets put back with the other coke products in the back room so they can get credited out. Whomever put the coke in the trash bin either didnt know where it goes, was too lazy to credit it out, or didnt know what to do and took the easy way. Or maybe they wanted to hide it and take it for themselves but you got to it first. As for the cookies, even if you don't get credit back, they are usually sent to donations. Your store gets a tax credit or something...so yeah that is theft as well. At our store, management will mash up the cookies with something inedible with the sole purpose of preventing people taking what gies in the trash. Usually they put it in the back room for us to eat. But if not, the cookies get mashed up and put in compost, or mixed in with something inedible to prevent you from eating it. Sometimes we will donate the cookies as well.
Why dumpsterdive or take cookies out of the trash that's meant for the dumpster? How are you going to pay for a doctor visit when you loose your job if you need medical attention for esting something that you shouldnt have?
-- Edited by mega-kitteh on Wednesday 5th of February 2020 08:38:09 PM
Expired food items are NOT donated. Thats a serious law suit if some one gets sick from it. Stop spreading misinformation.
The cookies are expired by a day or so. I highly doubt someone will get sick off of cookies past their expiration date by 2 days. Furthermore, I said most likely management will mash up the cookies to prevent consumption. No store will toss food out the exact day it expires (unless its refrigerated, and if that happens you they need to focus more on their perishable products FIFO policy). If they tossed all that food out, it would be huge shrink because no one would scan all that items in large quantities
Actually yes bakery items are only able to be donated on the day of expiration. We mark them down the day before, and then scanned as donations on the day of. It is a fireable offense to use outdated product as samples as well, there was a bakery manager in our district suspended for that reason.
I've eaten expired cookies by a couple of days and nothing came.of it, but I understand your views. Unfortunately I don't run the PRC dept and handle donations.
Actually yes bakery items are only able to be donated on the day of expiration. We mark them down the day before, and then scanned as donations on the day of. It is a fireable offense to use outdated product as samples as well, there was a bakery manager in our district suspended for that reason.
This is true. Kroger rules demand that bakery items (and items from other persishable departments) are to be donated on the 'day of' (sell by date),and not after.
THAT SAID, though, even though this is Kroger's standard, it has very little to do with whether or not the food is still "safe". Anyone who knows much about cookies and other sweet bakery items such as donuts, cupcakes, etc knows that they are FILLED WITH GOBS OF SUGAR. Sugar is a preservative. Sugar, as well as salt, and acids such as vinegar, help to preserve food , that is, it greatly slows down the spoiling of food. The Kroger people who made the rules about cookies and bakery items may not be smart enough to know this.
Cookies can last a VERY, VERY LONG time without actually "going bad". Yes, they may start to taste odd, stale or "Off", but they are not going to kill you. Have you ever thought of the fact that old fashioned cookie jars (on the kitchen counter, at room temperature) may have held cookies for literally MONTHS, and no one died because they ate cookies that had gotten a little stale.
Why do some people feel it is just fine to keep their ketchup, BBQ sauce and some other condiments in bottles at room temperature (in cupboards, not in the frig)? Because it contains gobs of SUGAR, SALT and VINEGAR! All of the three major food preservatives.
Kroger-Employee wrote:Why do some people feel it is just fine to keep their ketchup, BBQ sauce and some other condiments in bottles at room temperature (in cupboards, not in the frig)? Because it contains gobs of SUGAR, SALT and VINEGAR! All of the three major food preservatives.
Growing up, my parents never put mustard or ketchup in the refrigerator. I refrigerate my ketchup because I use it so rarely. It may be safe to eat when stored at room temperature but the flavor and color do deteriorate if it's not used up fast enough. I do let it come to room temperature before I use it though since I don't like the taste of cold ketchup on a hot hamburger or french fries
Actually yes bakery items are only able to be donated on the day of expiration. We mark them down the day before, and then scanned as donations on the day of. It is a fireable offense to use outdated product as samples as well, there was a bakery manager in our district suspended for that reason.
This is true. Kroger rules demand that bakery items (and items from other persishable departments) are to be donated on the 'day of' (sell by date),and not after.
THAT SAID, though, even though this is Kroger's standard, it has very little to do with whether or not the food is still "safe". Anyone who knows much about cookies and other sweet bakery items such as donuts, cupcakes, etc knows that they are FILLED WITH GOBS OF SUGAR. Sugar is a preservative. Sugar, as well as salt, and acids such as vinegar, help to preserve food , that is, it greatly slows down the spoiling of food. The Kroger people who made the rules about cookies and bakery items may not be smart enough to know this.
Cookies can last a VERY, VERY LONG time without actually "going bad". Yes, they may start to taste odd, stale or "Off", but they are not going to kill you. Have you ever thought of the fact that old fashioned cookie jars (on the kitchen counter, at room temperature) may have held cookies for literally MONTHS, and no one died because they ate cookies that had gotten a little stale.
Why do some people feel it is just fine to keep their ketchup, BBQ sauce and some other condiments in bottles at room temperature (in cupboards, not in the frig)? Because it contains gobs of SUGAR, SALT and VINEGAR! All of the three major food preservatives.
Oh I agree, those items are still perfectly good and will in no way make anyone sick.
The person in question who was suspended had a target on her back by store management who wanted her gone.
People who can't afford groceries will eat their way through the store then leave the packages tucked behind stuff. Women do this with the child dippers too. They'll open up a package slip out a couple then push it to the back. Most will ask where x item is then ask where the restroom is and two guess where they're shoving it. Down their pants.
