Supercheap Auto have broken their silence over the employee stood down for confronting a woman that allegedly used her pram to shoplift from a store.
The footage, which went viral, shows the worker stopping the woman outside Supercheap Auto in Ashmore, on the Gold Coast, after she allegedly tried to flee with items stashed in the pram.
After an expletive-ridden showdown, the employee managed to recover some of the allegedly stolen goods before the woman allegedly fled the scene.
Supercheap said the worker was stood down pending an investigation, sparking fury as dozens of Aussies flocked online to slam the decision and demand he be rewarded for his efforts.
On Wednesday their parent company, Super Retail Group, finally responded to the circumstances surrounding his suspension and confirmed he was on full pay while investigations were continuing.
‘We are reviewing an incident from last week at one of our stores on the Gold Coast which is standard practice after an event of this nature,’ the spokesperson said.
‘At all times, we remain focused on the health, safety and wellbeing of our team members and customers.’
Two local companies have since offered the man a position after being impressed at how he handled the situation.
Autobarn, in nearby Burleigh Heads, has offered the man a position after being impressed by how he handled the situation.
‘On behalf of our team in Burleigh, we would like to offer this man a job,’ the business wrote in an online post. ‘If anyone knows his name, please help us get in touch.’
The store’s owner, Michael Farrar, said his business has lost around $15,000 worth of goods over the past two years and the man in the video was the kind of employee he wanted on his team.
‘His actions showed to me that he is a loyal person and someone we would want on our team,’ he told the Gold Coast Bulletin.
It remains unclear whether the man has contacted the business to take up the offer.
Local car wreckers Southport Auto recyclers have also posted a job opportunity for the worker.
‘If anyone knows him tell him to DM us or tag him, we would like to interview him for a position should he require one!’ they wrote on Facebook.
‘After watching the video it’s crazy that supercheap have stood him down after the commitment to them he demonstrated!’
Supercheap Auto confirmed on Monday the employee had been stood down, telling Radio 2GB: ‘While the situation is being investigated, the employee will not be able to work’.
The move has sparked outrage online with Australians expressing their support for the worker.
‘Was he really sacked that’s’ a s**t go Supercheap!’ one wrote on Reddit.
‘Unbelievable. This guy stood up for this store and this is how they repay him. Bloody thieves need to learn that stealing just isn’t cool,’ another comment read.
third added: ‘Poor bastard. You do a good deed and get punished. What a f**king joke.’
Many people have taken to the company’s Facebook page to condemn the decision, vowing to shop elsewhere.
‘Looks like you lost a worker. Thankfully another company has seen his value,’ one man wrote.
‘Know where I will be shopping from now on…. Well done Autobarn…. Shame on you,’ a woman said.
‘Seriously Supercheap you got it wrong,’ a third post read.
However, others felt the employee addressed the situation poorly.
third added: ‘Poor bastard. You do a good deed and get punished. What a f**king joke.’
Many people have taken to the company’s Facebook page to condemn the decision, vowing to shop elsewhere.
‘Looks like you lost a worker. Thankfully another company has seen his value,’ one man wrote.
‘Know where I will be shopping from now on…. Well done Autobarn…. Shame on you,’ a woman said.
‘Seriously Supercheap you got it wrong,’ a third post read.
However, others felt the employee addressed the situation poorly.
‘I was in retail work 30 years ago and they were adamant even back then that you report but never confront if you suspected a thief,’ one wrote.
‘I was a retail manager for years. I always trained my staff to never stop a thief,’ another added.
‘There was no incentive from head office to stop thieves and they didn’t want to risk an employee getting hurt or a thief trying to sue.’
‘It’s idiotic to risk your own safety over product that costs a few cents/dollars to make, and is insured by the company. You’re worth more than cheaply made s*** that is easily replaced,’ a third wrote.
Supercheap spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia the company is reviewing the incident, which is ‘standard practice after an event of this nature’.
‘At all times, we remain focused on the health, safety and wellbeing of our team members and customers,’ they said.
It is understood the employee was stood down with pay.
The video posted online last month showed the woman tightly gripping her decoy pram, pretending there was a baby inside, as she bickered with the employee.
The employee threatened to ‘call the cops’ if she didn’t return the allegedly stolen items as the woman tried to move the stroller out of his reach.
‘Let my baby go,’ she screamed as the man took hold of its handles and looked inside.
‘You haven’t even got a baby in there,’ the man calmly replied.
‘Don’t touch my baby,’ the woman screamed again as the employee noticed a box stowed inside the pram that was covered with a blanket.
‘Oh there’s a box in there!’ the man cries in mock surprise.
The woman then seemingly gave up on her ploy and told the retail worker he could have ‘the f**king motor’.
She pushed a large cardboard box out of the pram and onto the pavement for the man to collect before finally calling him a ‘f**khead’.
A second video later posted online showed the woman barging him out of the way and storming off down the carpark, away from the automotive supplies store.
Queensland Police said detectives were unaware of any complaints made about the incident.
A witness, who was at the shop getting her windscreen wipers serviced, said staff allegedly saw her stealing on their cameras inside the store.
The witness claimed to Daily Mail Australia that the woman had three disc brake rotors, valued at about $82.99 each.
‘I heard the yelling before I saw them and just started filming,’ the witness said.
‘The worker was ok, he was angry more than anything.’
The bystander claimed staff recovered two rotors and believe the woman got away with a third hidden under the pram. 