A Ford employee says he lost his job after being accused of stealing a $1.95 cookie, only for the company to later realize he’d actually paid for it.
60-year-old Kurt Kromm had worked at Ford’s Kentucky Truck Plant for 11 years, but told Shifting Gears he was fired after the company believed security footage showed him taking a cookie from the break room without paying.
They didn’t fire him for stealing the cookie. They fired him because he’s old and probably earning twice what a new hire who could do his job would earn. The cookie was just an excuse.
Every employer, big and small, has a collection of petty rules on the books that are only there to be enforced against people they want to get rid of “justifiably” and not have to pay unemployment.
This tactic goes by the lawful name of at will employment.
At will employment isn’t a magic trick, and this case demonstratesit clearly. It means employees can be terminated without cause. But if employees are terminated without cause they get to claim unemployment. That’s why they manufacturered a reason here - to keep him from being able to claim unemployment.
It also allows them to term employees for illegal reasons. An older employee making more money and approaching pension can’t be fired and denied pension for being old. But if they steal a cookie? Absolutely.
I think unemployment is paid to the State while they are working, no?
Companies get penalized if a lot of their former employees start getting unemployment.