A case of soda?

So the whole point of my blog Saturday was to lead into my blog this week. Last week I overheard some of my students talking about taking things from work. I wanted to have and open discussion with my class about theft and lead with what happened this weekend. Its official work ethics are dead.

Last Thursday I had several students out due to SAT & end of the year testing preparation. I gave the remaining students some busy work and said they may converse with one another to get the work done. The project was to write a mini essay about where they worked what they like about it what they didn’t like about it so on and so forth. I guess they were still on track when they started talking about theft. I sat down and pretended to do something that took my attention away from them all the while I took notes on what they were saying.

So they talked about how nobody got raises because the employers said they can’t afford it. They now have to begin paying and/or pay full price for meals due to the poor food cast. Uh hello are they not getting it? So cases of soda are walking out the back door, friends are eating for free, and boxes of fries or chips are disappearing and they hate their jobs since they can’t get a raise. WOW! They really have no clue do they?
So in the open discussion the main response was “we ain’t go no raises that’s why we take stuff ‘cuz it’s owed to us.” I tried to explain: what would you rather have a case of Coke or extra money so you could buy that pair of $200 shoes? Most said both and honestly thought they deserved it. While a few students professed they took stuff, others who said they did not, at least knew employees who did. I asked “why don’t you turn those people in to your boss or MOD?” “Ah man I ain’t no snich” was the common response I got.

Uh – well, personally if I knew someone was the reason I wasn’t getting a raise I’d sell them out in a heart beat. They couldn’t understand this reasoning in the least. So I had to explain it like this: Not only is stealing wrong, the bible says don’t do it. Some of them got it but the ones thick in the head did not. So again I had to come up with another way to explain it. I came up with this. “If you or another employee steals food, paper, product whatever you/they are stealing from yourselves or other employees. When the numbers don’t match up managers have to do things to make the profit or break even. The benefit of free or reduced meals goes by by, and no one gets raises. In essence thieves steal not only from the business but from you. If some one came into your house after a tornado and stole your big screen TV you’d want to beat the stew out of them wouldn’t you? They all agreed. So if someone went into you wallet and took out five dollars every day you worked you would be pretty upset wouldn’t you. Again they agreed. So every time someone steals at work that takes money out of your pocket. Hopefully now most of them get it.

Personally I’m thinking about being a rat and telling their employers about what I heard. I’d probably feel bad about some of these kids loosing their jobs. I have a feeling most of my students have to learn things the hard way, and then again some of them won’t even learn then. Lord I’m glad I don’t run or own a restaurant any more.