I Fired an Employee For Not Throwing Away Food
A lesson in understanding how much food is wasted in America — and what can be done about it.
Years ago, I was an assistant store director for a big grocery retailer. Typically, I was the closing store manager and worked the evening shift at a particular store I was assigned in 2012. I had a new employee who worked in the produce department named Tim (not his real name for the sake of privacy).
Tim was a Vietnamese immigrant, having just come to the states recently to work and start a family. He immediately formed a bond with me as I was also Vietnamese. My parents came to the United States after the Vietnam War so I wasn’t an immigrant, but I had always felt an immediate kinship with any immigrants in this country.
Tim was a very hard worker. Every shift, he greeted every employee and customer with an enthusiastic smile. Detailed and thorough, Tim was the epitome of a model retail employee. Tim also frequently worked closing shifts for the produce department so conversations with him were common.
Tim told me he had kids and wanted to work hard for them. He saw me as a role model and I eagerly took him under my wing. Overall, I thought Tim was a great guy with huge potential. Maybe I could groom him to be a manager one day!
