Sacked Morrisons Store Manager Calls Supermarket 'Family' Before Dismissal
A Black Country father who worked at Morrisons for 29 years has revealed he 'classed Morrisons as family' before being sacked earlier this year. Sean Egan, a father of two, was dismissed from the Aldridge store in February after an incident where he tackled a shoplifter who allegedly spat in his face.
Incident Leads to Dismissal After Nearly Three Decades
Egan explained that during the shoplifting incident, he backhanded the man and tackled him after being spat at. The shoplifter was subsequently dismissed from the store, but Morrisons terminated Egan's employment, claiming his response violated the supermarket's do-not-detain policy.
Speaking on Good Morning Britain, Egan expressed his disappointment with how Morrisons handled the situation. "I did class Morrisons as my family and they've been unsupportive throughout," he told presenters Susanna Reid and Ed Balls.
"It's my only ever job, it's the only job I've had my entire life. It's all I've known," Egan continued, highlighting the emotional impact of losing his long-term position.
Would He Return to Supermarket Work?
When asked if he would consider returning to work in a supermarket, Egan revealed mixed feelings about the prospect. "I'm still out of work and looking for work. Would I work in a supermarket again? It's left a sour taste," he admitted.
However, the father acknowledged his family responsibilities, adding: "But I've also got to provide for my family, I'll do whatever I need to do."
Egan contrasted his current job search with his original hiring experience, noting: "When I applied for Morrisons before that, it was a simple 20-minute interview. That's not the world we live in now."
Planned Protest Against Dismissal
Later this week, Egan plans to return to the Morrisons store on Anchor Road in Aldridge as part of what he describes as a 'peaceful protest' against his dismissal. The demonstration is scheduled for Saturday, April 25, from 9am to 12pm.
Egan remains unemployed since his February dismissal and continues to seek new employment opportunities while advocating for what he believes was unfair treatment by his former employer.
Morrisons' Official Statement
In response to the situation, a Morrisons spokesperson issued a statement emphasizing their commitment to colleague and customer safety:
"We are continuing to take wide-ranging action to address the threat of shoplifting or violence in our stores. The health and safety of all colleagues and customers is of paramount importance to Morrisons.
We have very clear guidance, procedures and controls in place to protect our colleagues and customers from the risk of harm, which must be strictly followed. These include detailed procedures for handling shoplifting incidents, which are in place to protect both the colleague involved and surrounding colleagues and customers, and which seek to de-escalate and calmly control the situation.
We will not ask colleagues to put themselves at risk. As a responsible employer, our focus is entirely on taking the correct action to ensure health and safety is maintained at all times."
