Punish the thieves not the workers

Stuff reports:

Customers cost service stations millions by fleeing without paying, but low-paid workers appear to be bearing the brunt.

In the wake of a story yesterday highlighting the case of workers at Masterton’s Night ‘n Day store, which also operates a Gull service station, being docked wages after customers drove off without paying, employees at other stations have come forward with more examples of the practice.

At least one other service station in the Wellington area routinely docked workers for “drive-offs”, and dozens of reader comments and emails spoke of other instances.

“I asked my boss, ‘How are we supposed to stop the drivers?’ And he said . . . ‘You’ve got to try to do your best to stop them getting off the forecourt’,” said a Hutt Valley Caltex station worker, who asked not to be named for fear of losing his job.

That’s appalling. Would a retailer dock wages off staff to compensate for shoplifters?

Of course staff should attempt to stop drive offs, but in many cases it won’t be possible.

The solution for owners is to report drive offs to the Police, not to take it from their staff’s pay.