Walgreens wrongfully terminated for theft without proof, and then being put on the retail do not hire list, and managers telling other employees there is video of me stealing when there isn't Hooksett New Hampshire

Ok, so you said you didn't actually take anything. This is causing you to be blacklisted which is hurting you financially and tarnishing your reputation so other employers won't even look at you.

My advice: if you're innocent, get a lawyer and file suit. If you're lucky, Walgreen's will do an out of court settlement and you may not have to work for a while. Worst case scenario, it goes to court, and Walgreen's can't prove anything. This could also be a financial opportunity for you. 

Hi Ashley!

Glad to hear that you won.  I am in a similar situation and would like to talk with you.  my email address:  bagpipeluver@yahoo.com

Thanks!  Linda

Okay so the drama with Walgreens just never ends!!  I am so glad I now have a job that I love, not quite the full time hours, but getting there because this company appreciates hard workers and doesn't tell them "If you are working hard it must be because you are hiding something"   Whatever happened to:    that was the way I was raised to work hard and provide my own way in life!!!     Apparently I am being stalked by the Merrimack NH Walgreen's store manager.   I go in there occassionaly because I have an acquaintance that works there and I make some purchases, why??? I don't know!!   At this point, you'd think I'd be boycotting the place. It is like a soap opera, I leave and the manager is telling all the employees that I was fired for blah, blah, blah  and how he googled me and that I was bashing  Walgreens.  Honestly, people I only speak the truth.  And what is the reason for this store manager to be stalking me?  I didn't even work at that store.       It comes down to the truth  which obviously only tapes will show, right?  Where's the tapes???    Conveniently enough the tapes are no where to be found.  Because you can't put something on a tape that isnt there.  I am all done speaking of Walgreens, obviously everyone needs to find out for themself.  I just gave facts thats all!!      I am off to my new job where I am treated like a respectable hardworking adult that I am!!!!

Unfortunately I am familar with Walgreens.  It has been my experience that they are not an "employee oriented" organization.  Clearly they do not investigate anything.

I am unfamilar with your state, I can suggest you go to the EEOC and look at the web-site to see if they have violated your rights.  If so, you can file a report with the EEOC and they will investigate.

Good Luck to you!  I USE to believe that Walgreens was a good corporate company.  Not at all!  With the "Rewire for Growth", it is my opinion they set themselves up for failure and it should be "Rewire for Failure".  On every level be it Retail, Consumer, Home Medical, Pharmacy, Corporate, it is a joke of an organization.  They have nothing but total incompentent people = including there investigation team and this I know first hand.   

Well, I won the appeal from unemployment, Walgreens came in with my store manager, the loss prevention manager and an attorney.  They tried to tell the chairperson that they had proof of me stealing on video.  The chair person asked for it and they said they didn't have it on them because the videos were being worked on.  The chair person said" How convenient"        Then they continued with their lies, but as we all now the truth will always stay the same.  A lie changes because it isn't the truth and you cant remember lies always.  The chair person caught them in a few lies.  I didn't receive the outcome for two months, but finally it came in and I won the appeal.    Unfortunately, it still does not help me with further employment.  I was told by Walgreens Corporation that I could still apply at a different Walgreens store.  I applied for a pharmacy tech at the Walgreens in Merrimack, NH.  I took the test and went for the interview  2 1/2 hours.  I did very well.  I got the job, I just needed to take the drug test.  The pharmacist told me I was hired pending the drug test.  Which I knew wouldn't be a problem because I don't do drugs.  Well the store manager from that store ( not the hiring pharmacist)  called me and told me I would not get the job because The loss prevention manager told him I was a thief.  Is that even legal?    This is just never ending.  I know, I know I should've just given up with Walgreens.  But at this frigging point I cant' even get a job anywhere.  I am a hard worker, currently on partial unemployment and working part time.  I have baby, I definitely don't want to be on assistance.  I want to work full time and make my own way.  What do I do know?  I can't get a job, I have applied everywhere!!!!

Okay, so I do have a job now but in the meantime I had to collect unemployment, and my new job is not giving me full time hours so I collect partial unemployment.  Trust me, I have been looking for a job .  I fill out applications all the time, and get very few job interviews from them.  Well now Walgreens is ultimately saying I was fired for theft of the candy bar so they have appealed my unemployment.  My appeal is next week, I do have my receipt for the candy bar.  Hopefully that will help!!!

The Walgreens store was in NH and I live in NH.  I already contacted the labor board, and the laws in NH are very lenient for employers.  They can fire you for any reason at any time, except discrimination.  They did suggest a contact a lawyer as far as the defamation of charachter part.  But I am unemployed and have no income coming in.  I am still awaiting the fate of my unemployment benefits.  Which I will probably have to appeal, because they are saying I stole, which would make me void from unemployment benefits.    So getting a lawyer is something hard to come by right now.  And I don't know if there is a lawyer that would work on my case for contingency.

Thanks for all your input!!  I feel at a loss.  It is just sad, I really enjoyed my job, and my future was looking promising!!!!

Remember, laws may differ in your area, so check your local laws. However, speaking generally, this is what I can say...

In any court, Wallgreen's would have to prove conclusively that you stole from the store, with intent.

Here, intent is the lynch pin that holds any prosecution together. Anyway...

I personally find the connection between your cosmetics person asking you to "help find the Scope" and you being accused of its theft very shortly thereafter, just a little TOO convenient. I wouldn't rule out the possibility that the cosmetics person perhaps pilfered the product and set you up as the fall guy, but I'm just theorizing here.

Your LP people have a duty to investigate and find out the truth of any LP matter. What "Chad" was dong sounds like pure coercion, trying to pressure you into admitting an illegal act in order to perhaps get the issue off his case pile, and you appeared as a nice, easy patsy to pin it on. Where I currently work (a major supermarket chain outlet), I know all the LP people and I've worked in LP myself, and we have great discussions about this stuff. they take pride in their investigations and will actually work to either prove or disprove someone's innocence in the event of an accusation of theft. That's what they get paid for, not to find "targets of opportunity" to take the fall.

Chad sounds lazy, jaded, and he's certainly not doing his job... not as it's supposed to be done.

I'd say that if all you say is true (and I say that because I wasn't there), I think you would have excellent recourse under the law for wrongful dismissal with an option to recover damages. Making sure your name is "cleared" is also a very important thing.

As for going for your U.I., I don't know if they have the actual authority unto themselves to demand the video footage. However, it's very important that you find some way to get that footage secured somehow. When I worked in LP/Security, recordings were saved only for a set amount of time. In the case of the site where I worked, the surveillance video was only preserved for 8 days, after which, the tapes were recorded over for the next cycle, unless there was something to prevent the footage from being destroyed, such as a court order.

If you're going to fight this, get on it... fast.

If this is true and she was placed on one of these lists with no proof, then she needs to sue walgreens for defamation of character.

I'm fairly confident that these databases only pull theft that is taken to the police.

Yes there are Databases for retail workers one is kept by USIS/HireRight called the retail theft database. You best bet would call your local labor board and look into filing suit for wrongful termination.

if this thing exists, show me proof.

I managed a grocery store and 2 convenience stores in my youth, and if such a thing existed I sure would have liked to of seen it.

If this: http://www.infocubic.net/service.htm

is what you are speaking of, it would require you to have been reported to the police to have a record to search.

Legally speaking, unless you are convicted of a crime there's no list to search through. Now if walgreen's took you to court, and you were found guilty, then I would kiss working in retail goodbye.

As far as I know, and I would like a lawyer's opinion, blacklists are illegal in this country. The only "legal" form of blacklisting, is employment background checks like this retail theft database.

Called Retail Theft Database
What a shame -
Stacey

Yes, they do have a retail data base, and it shows that if there was an issue with an employee. So It will be very hard for me to get a job. I am searching for a pro bono lawyer . They are also now telling other employees that I was actually fired now for eating a candy bar that wasn't paid for. Thank god I still have the receipt for the candy bar to prove I did pay for it.

So Walgreens has to prove to the labor board that I actually stole. do they have to supply proof? if so, that is good. Because there will be no proof. Or will the labor board just take the LP's and manager's word for it?

Thanks for all the help.

There is not such thing as a "Do not hire" list. Some companies will keep an internal one, and that is legal for their company. Its not legal to spread one around to other companies. I've never even heard of such a thing. Do you have any proof that they did this?

Now when you apply for a new job, they can call your previous employer and inquire as to if you are rehireable. I'm not really sure what to tell you, unfortunately they don't need any proof that you were stealing to prosecute you. As you already stated, they can terminate your employment for any reason.

File unemployment and you will need to fight for it. That will be your day in court. They will try to deny your unemployment based on theft, you will need to challenge it. They will have to prove to the state labor board that you stole in order to decline your unemployment. If they cannot, then you are clear. Any future employer that tries to bring it up, you can point to the unemployment and show you didn't do it.

Also, having worked in management (not at walgreens), they rarely prosecute theft cases. They are too costly to prosecute, unless the theft was a large theft.