posted 12-15-2013 04:39 PM                  

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/15/man-puts-out-car-fire-gets-fired-meijer_n_4446103.html

Last month, David Bowers says he was fired from his job as a greeter at Meijer, a retail chain store in the midwest, for putting out a car fire in the store's parking lot.

When a customer at the Gaylord, Mich., location asked for help because his car dash was on fire, the 62-year-old told Michigan's Up North Live he took action, and grabbed a fire extinguisher to put out the flames.

"When you have somebody that's in need," Bowers asked the station, explaining his actions, "don't you help them?" Then, reflecting on what came next, he answered his own question: "I guess not."

Bowers was reportedly fired for leaving his post, a position the Associated Press reports earned him $9.30 an hour greeting shoppers.

Bowers had been reprimanded one other time in his otherwise spotless 4 1/2 years at Meijer, for chasing down a shoplifter.

A statement from Meijer to MLive declines to discuss the specifics of Bowers' situation, instead deferring to company policy for dealing with emergencies:

Please be assured that this was not a random decision... We have well-established safety procedures for emergency situations and we train all team members on those procedures. These procedures help ensure the safety of everyone – both customers and team members, and our team members know there are consequences when they don't follow them.

News of the incident has prompted some to voice their displeasure on the company's Facebook page. Writes one customer, "Are you kidding me? Mr. Bowers should get a promotion not termination. Time to switch stores!"

posted 12-15-2013 05:51 PM                  

And forget that the company had a policy that was written to prohibit the employee from putting himself or the customer in jeopardy by trying to extinguish a car fire instead of following policy by calling the fire department...

posted 12-15-2013 06:31 PM                  

At the same time the employee made a decision to violate the company policy to come to the aid of a customer, in essence placing the customers needs ahead of his own employment.

Both made logical decisions and both live with the result of their decisions.

posted 12-16-2013 01:18 PM                  

Do you also believe that it should be OK for a bank teller to pull out a gun and chase a robber down the street?

There are good reasons why employers have policies for the protection and safeguard of their personnel and their customers.....The bottom line is safety first

It has nothing to do with being greedy or uncaring.....If the customer's life had been in jeopardy and the employee's action saved him I'm sure the company would have applauded his actions as heroic......But that wasn't the case.