Or, I don't know, just give them back? The manager let him take them home after he asked about them. If the manager was really so concerned about garbage bags then he should have taken them back there and then.

As an HR Director, I agree, terminating was extreme. However, I can't imagine anyone who thinks taking something that isn't theirs is acceptable. More likely his mindset was "McDonald's has LOTS of money, they won't miss 3 bags. And I work my butt off for them". As I've known many employees who think this way. But the problem is, if they take 3 bags, what else will they feel privileged to take? And as others mentioned, if he would have asked they likely would have given or sold him a few for pennies. It isn't WHAT he took but that he felt entitled to take them; he didn't even try to hide it. Many employees feel it is ok to take small things from work for home use and it simply isn't ok. I've seen companies terminate for post it's, ink pens and notebooks!

How do we know is he wasn't told that during orientation? He just chose to ignore it perhaps.

How is everybody missing the part where he was given a ride by the manager, and SHOWED HIM THE BAGS? If he had been explicitly told that during orientation and he was SO DUMB that he ignored it and showed the manager the bags then yes, he probably did deserve to get fired.

Then that makes the assistant manager a grade A a*hole,. He could have reminded him it was technically theft and given him the option to hand them back with no more said on the matter, instead he let it go ahead and hung the kid out to dry with his boss. Wouldn't even look him in the eye because he knew what a petty ass he was being.

This comment makes you a grade a a**hole as well as you're ready to condemn someone over a story online and you don't even know how much of it is true or if there is anything more to the story. Maybe the AM DID tell him it was not ok and told him he needed to return them. Guy laughed it off as he personally couldn't see what the big deal was.

Most of us learn from a very young age, if it isn't yours, don't touch it. What he did is extremely common and it isn't anything other than people feeling companies have so much money, it won't hurt them to let their employees take "little" items. And to not do so is selfish, as they are wealthy. They fail to understand the bigger picture of, if a company allowed all employees access to just take any little thing they wanted, it would add up to a lot of money. And they didn't get their money by handing out free items. Should he have been fired? Probably not. But I'm guessing there is more to the story.

You have to read the whole context to get the story. I replied to someone saying that the person probably didn't know it was wrong to take the garbage bags. I say, that I don't believe someone who says they don't know that you shouldn't do that.

Right to Work...I dont think that means what you think it means.In a nitshell, RtW means that joining a union isnt a prerequisite to be hired. You're thinking of employment at will, which means that an employee can quit at any time or reason, and more in line with this discussion, a person can be fired for any reason unless it is based on race, religion, sex, ect.ect...

Thank you Chucky. You are correct. I was thinking on different trek.I hate being wrong but not as much as I really hate spreading bad info. Thanks for the catch

Jerry, right to work makes it so employers can circumvent a union and then fire people for no reason. Chucky is technically correct, but the spirit of the law is to be able to fire anyone at will and treat them worse.

I mix up “Right to Work” and “At Will” employment, too. It’s an easy mistake to make.

I wish I were able to fire some politicians in the USA.

I agree. I would love to get a "Vote of Confidence" installed here. If nothing else it would help deplete the war chest of the villains. Of course I could also see it backfiring.