Lululemon employees fired after confronting masked robbers
Two employees of the retailer Lululemon have been fired after confronting two masked robbers attempting to cause havoc in their store.
Video footage shows the thieves break into the Peachtree Corners store in Atlanta earlier this month to get their hands on as much of the brand's athletic clothing as they can.
In one video, you can hear former assistant manager Jennifer Ferguson shout: "No, no, no, you can march back out."
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The looters decided to stay in the doorway and stare at the angry worker before they headed back in and snatched several more pairs of leggings.
"Seriously? Get out," the worker angrily directed at the men, with one of the thieves heard saying: "Chill, b****, shut your a** up."
The women follows the thieves outside as they pile into their getaway car, but do not physically try to stop the thieves from getting away.
Of course, that would not exactly be a sensible move, so Ferguson, and now former colleague Rachel Rogers decided on reporting the robbery to the police.
Gwinnett Police Department ended up tracking down the thieves and charged them with felony robbery charges.
Job done, right? Well, not exactly, as Rogers and Ferguson claim their actions resulted in them losing their jobs.
Speaking to 11 Alive, Ferguson said: "All of a sudden we see some gentlemen run into the store in masks and hoodies.
"They swiped until they couldn’t hold any more product and ran out the door.
"We are not supposed to get in the way. You kind of clear path for whatever they’re going to do.
"And then, after it’s over, you scan a QR code. And that’s that. We’ve been told not to put it in any notes, because that might scare other people. We’re not supposed to call the police, not really supposed to talk about it."
The former employees claim they were openly questioned by the regional manager on their decision to call the police, before they were fired without being given a 'specific reason' other than Lululemon has a 'no-tolerance policy'.
Jason, Ferguson's husband, took to Facebook to slam the retailer, he wrote: "This is where my blood begins to boil. These are two exemplary employees, both leaders and looking to advance within the company.
"And what was their reward? They were immediately terminated without mention of severance or any financial consideration."
A Lululemon spokesperson told UNILAD their handbook has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to chasing or engaging with thieves.
They added: "The safety and security of our employees and guests is always lululemon’s top priority, and we have policies and protocols in place to uphold a safe environment.
"We take thefts and vandalism very seriously and our focus right now is supporting our educators, as well as continuing to collaborate with local partners and law enforcement. "
Callum Jones