Safeway suspends worker for stopping a beating....

[King Ghidorah]

Of a pregnant woman, without pay.

DEL REY OAKS, Monterey County (CBS 5) — Safeway’s suspension of a Monterey County employee after stopping a domestic assault has become a public relations headache for the grocery chain.

Police said Ryan Young, a meat clerk at the Del Rey Oaks location, intervened when he saw Quyen Van Tran beating his pregnant girlfriend in the store last month.

“If it was their wife who was pregnant or their daughter who was pregnant who was being attacked, would they want someone to step in and help them?” Young said.

Authorities, including the city’s police chief, praised Young for stopping the assault.

Young was suspended for supposedly violating company policy. He has no income while his wife is five months pregnant.

CBS 5 has received numerous e-mails, comments and Facebook messages from viewers, saying Young got a raw deal. Several have threatened to stop shopping at Safeway. One woman even offered to help Young financially.

The grocery chain released a statement to CBS affiliate KION on Wednesday. It said:

“Safeway is taking this matter seriously. We have store security video of the incident, and have been engaged in a careful and thoughtful forensic review of what transpired. There are two sides to every story, and we would ask that judgment be reserved. The matter is being handled through the union grievance procedure provided for in our labor agreement. We will be relying on the video and other relevant evidence as well as statements of eyewitnesses and other information to make a final decision. Beyond that, it is premature to comment on a personnel matter of this kind. The safety of our customers and employees is of paramount importance, and we appreciate the public’s patience as we give the issue the time and attention that it deserves.”

The Monterey County District Attorney’s Office also has a copy of the surveillance video.

Attorney Tom Worthington said the grocery chain and Young are in a difficult position.

“They can’t have a policy that just gives carte blanche to the employees to intervene anytime and anywhere that the employee thinks is suitable. But on the other hand, in my judgment, they shouldn’t have a policy that is so strict that the employee can’t do the right thing,” Worthington said.

Young is hoping Safeway does what he said is the right thing.

“I should be reinstated to my job,” Young said. “That’s how I feel.”

sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2012/05/16/outrage-grows-after-safeway-suspends-monterey-county-worker/

What say you single female Lawyers of FAN?

[Krimzon]

There are just certain things you should never be punished for. Stopping the assault of a pregnant woman is one of them.

[Orange]

Complete bullshit.

[That Mickie Fan]

Wow, Safeway is so wrong. I Guess they think it would be more appropriate for the guy to beat his Pregnant girlfriend to death.

[Orange]

Although I must say, I love when stories like this go public. Boss man probably thought he could slip it under the carpet and nobody would care, now he's got egg on his face and he's go to remedy the situation in front of the entire nation ;D

[MGH]

There are two sides to every story

No ... no sometimes things are pretty cut and dry.

[Brick Killed a Guy]

I guess when they say "The Customer is Always Right" they mean "The Customer is Always Right".

[Legion]

Safeway have to make sure. They cant set the precedent that any employee can just go getting involved in anything they see in a store. Certainly in this case, it is pretty cut and dry, but being that we do not know if the guy doing the assault in going to try and sue or claim all sorts.

They have to cover their own backs, and as dick move as that is, it is understandable.

This guy will likely be reinstalled, of that I have no doubt.

The real dick move for me here is that they have suspended him without pay, considering the situation of both what he stepped in to stop and his own personal situation.

[Banjo Is Broken]

At first I read that as "Subway" instead of Safeway. I'm not sure why that is important enough to mention, but it did make sense when I read that the guy was a "meat clerk." I figured, okay so he's the guy in charge of all the different meats they offer. Then I saw it was actually Safeway, and the meat clerk made even more sense now that I think about it, because why would a little Subway restaurant need one guy to be in charge of all the meats. That's really a job that could be handled by everybody who makes the sandwiches. A meat clerk at a supermarket is certainly something that would be needed.

[Andrew is Good]

At first I read Safway, as that's the name of the scaffolding company I work for. And it's pronounced the same way too. If there is enough public outrage, he'll not only get his job back but I feel he'll get some money back. Or get hired pretty quickly.

[Toxik916]

Safeway is a terrible company. I know because I worked there for 7 years until they screwed me out of my job for a bullshit reason. The company has been on cost cutting measures for the last 4 years even though they have been making insane amounts of profits. About a year or two ago they started to phase out high paid retail employees so they can pay someone 8$ an hour to do a job that was previously held by workers making 20$ an hour. I was one of the casualties and they never gave me a reason for termination beyond violation of company policy. Hell they didn't even tell me what policy I violated. The union was no help since it is extremely corrupt and in bed with the stores instead of truly protecting the workers.

I hope this bad PR helps saves this guys job, unfortunately I don't think it will. There are very strict guidelines when it comes to engaging in physicality with a customer or thief. If you try to apprehend or physically stop a shoplifter you will be terminated because they don't want any lawsuits. I can see them firing this guy especially if he is a higher paid employee, some meat cutters can make up to 30$ an hour.

[Turd Ferguson]

Unsafeway is more like it