Good Samaritan or Poor Performer?

Author
Paul E. Olsen, Saint Michael’s College
Region
North America
Topic
Human Resources & Organizational Behavior
Strategy & General Management
Ethics & Social Justice
Length
3 pages
Keywords
progressive discipline
employment-at-will
ethics
Student Price
$4.00
Target Audience
Undergraduate Students

This critical incident is about Amir Shedyak, a supermarket Customer Service Leader, who was fired from Hannaford Supermarket by Store Manager Rolland Tessier for violating Hannaford’s safety policies. More specifically, Shedyak violated Hannaford’s “no chase” policy when he returned a stolen wallet to a customer after pursuing the man who grabbed the wallet from a customer’s purse and fled the store. While Hannaford’s policy prohibited pursuing thieves, its corporate Code of Ethics encouraged employees to act with integrity and courage and do what is right, every day. After the story of Shedyak’s heroism and subsequent dismissal from Hannaford Supermarkets went viral, Amir Shedyak wondered if his termination was lawful.

Learning Outcomes

In completing this assignment, students should be able to:

1. Describe and apply the progressive disciplinary process.

2. Recommend and defend employee discipline for policy violation.

3. Critique the doctrine of employment-at-will and identify exceptions to it.

4. Identify the pros and cons of retail “no chase” safety policies.