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Lululemon has been making headlines following its most recent branch robbery. The athleisure giant fired two employees because they reported a store robbery to the police. The company defended its actions by saying that reporting a crime is against the store’s policy. This left netizens enraged and customers were quick to criticize the brand. Now, CEO Calvin McDonald has come forward to say that they stand by their actions of terminating the two workers.
Responding to Jennifer Ferguson and Rachel Rogers’ termination, Lululemon CEO Calvin McDonald said in an interview with CNBC that they train their employees also known as “educators” in the company, on how they must respond to robberies. He said:
“We have a zero-tolerance policy that we train our educators on around engaging during a theft. Why? Because we put the safety of our team, of our guests, front and center. It’s only merchandise.”
McDonald went on to clarify that the two employees were not fired for calling law enforcement but for “engaging the thieves across multiple points, including following them out of the store.”
The executive went on to add that they have policies kept in place to protect their employees. He said:
“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.”
Responding to his statement, one netizen wrote online:
Netizens respond to Lululemon CEO’s latest statement on the robbery
Internet users were in disbelief after hearing McDonald’s statements. Many felt like he did not care for his employees and their safety. Others jokingly noted that with the store’s policy they can effectively steal the products without facing legal consequences. A few reactions online read:
What happened at the Lululemon branch?
For those unversed, Lululemon axed two employees after a robbery occurred in Georgia. A shocking video showed three masked thieves breaking into the store that was located at Peachtree Corners in Atlanta. The robbers were seen stealing the store’s expensive athletic wear.
Employee Ferguson was heard shouting at them- “Seriously? Get out!”
One of the robbers responded by saying- “Chill, b**ch, shut you’re a*s up.”
The men have since been arrested. Meanwhile, the two terminated employees revealed that they were laid off through a Zoom call, were not given severance pay and neither a “specific reasoning” for their termination.
In an interview with 11Alive, Ferguson revealed that they were also questioned by the regional manager for calling the police. She also revealed that the store had instructed them to “scan a QR code” when a robbery occurs as they do not want to “scare other people.”
A Lululemon spokesperson claimed that their company policy titled- “Employee Response to External Theft” does not allow employees to chase or engage with the robbers. The policy also includes not being allowed to leave the store to pursue a thief. They also added that the two employees were fired because they physically engaged with the thieves which put customers, other employees and themselves at risk.
