Workers Privilege

Someone on another forum pointed out how unfair it is that employees get first dibs on certain stock. Including exclusive stock. I asked them what they would do if they could get exclusives and limited items early and/or cheaper than others, and figured I would ask here too.



Do you get upset when workers get first claim on stock and you end up empty handed? Would you also take advantage of the situation, if your answer was yes?

Comments

  • Employees should never get first dibs on stock.



    I would take advantage of it, yes.
  • It's an incentive to work for a company. Otherwise, they would command higher salary or wages. I see no problem with this. It's also an incentive to work hard and make the company a success in the long run.
  • Sounds like basket of crabs mentality to me.
  • I try to be fair and give customers at least a month before I plunge. I also post up what we have that is new on the social medias as well and remind them that if there's anything they want me to hold onto (Mario, Pokemon, etc) so that THEY can have dibs, then they can go for it. Let them fight over it.  



    Of course, I can only hold onto things for at least a day or two, otherwise people would want me to hold onto something for a year or forget that they told me to hold onto it, which isn't fair to anyone else, plus it builds up too much stuff that doesn't move-- especially when it's something that CAN move.
  • I would think a store probably has a policy that dictates when it is OK for an employee to benefit in this way, or not.
  • I think we need to clarify what kind of store we're talking about here. I took this to be a general retail location, but it seems others are referring to used game stores. More context please.
  • If a company allows for their employees to purchase something before it gets to the floor, there is nothing wrong with them taking advantage of the perk. However, if the companies have policies against it, and the employees do it behind the scenes anyway, than that is clearly wrong. It seems pretty clear cut to me. Keep in mind that some of these people want to own the same stuff we do and if some companies have strict polices about when they can buy stock, they may have an even harder time getting limited stuff compared to us. It sucks that some people use the advantage to flip and resell for a profit, but that's life.
  • This is why I stopped going to GoodWill. An employee would purposely hold back stock that he knew was valuable until his friends came in and the employee would go into the back and grab stuff he had put aside for his friends to buy.



    I saw him grab N64 games from the back twice on two different occasions and give them to people he knew to checkout twice.



    Working at goodwill probably sucks so I would take advantage too, especially if he was making money on the side.
  • I was really confused because I thought he was talking about employee stock options, and I was sitting here thinking...why would someone be so uspet about that? hahah. Then I realized you are talking about video game items, doh!
  • I have trouble coming up with a workable way to prevent this. Should employees be disallowed from making a purchase until after their shift and not allowed to be on site on their day off?



    I worked at a vintage shop once upon a time and we all definitely snagged the shit we liked as soon as we pulled it out of the boxes. Hell, sometimes people didn't even pay for it. I always did, except when the assistant manager told me not to, lol. At least with new production items, the store could account for what employees want and order that many extra. As for limited edition shit, well, that's marketing and capitalism, I guess. Blame the publisher? I think I would be more annoyed about the customer who buys up the entire stock to flip, than the employee who genuinely wants the thing. Do employees often buy stuff out?
  • Originally posted by: sadikyo



    I was really confused because I thought he was talking about employee stock options, and I was sitting here thinking...why would someone be so uspet about that? hahah. Then I realized you are talking about video game items, doh!



    lol I know, right?



    That's it. Take this job and shove it. Giving up my well-paying job and benefits to work for Goodwill to get dem Nintender tapes.

     
  • Im ok with it if its for a reasonable time. At my local store an employee has something i want with his name on it for 3 months straight now  
  • Originally posted by: Gloves



    I think we need to clarify what kind of store we're talking about here. I took this to be a general retail location, but it seems others are referring to used game stores. More context please.



    lol, I definitely interpreted this differently, but your interpretation makes sense to me. From that context, I am against it. Workers should take the day off and wait in line like everyone else.

     
  • Originally posted by: punch-out!!84

     
    Originally posted by: Gloves



    I think we need to clarify what kind of store we're talking about here. I took this to be a general retail location, but it seems others are referring to used game stores. More context please.



    lol, I definitely interpreted this differently, but your interpretation makes sense to me. From that context, I am against it. Workers should take the day off and wait in line like everyone else.

     



    Yeah I'm thinking like - can you imagine the outrage if the Nike employees at the store got first dibs on all the limited edition shoes and such? If people lined up and were told "Ah sorry, the first 20 pairs were all sold to employees leaving only 30 for the rest of you, so the last 20 of you in line right now are SOL". There'd be some hospitalized employees at the Nike store lemme tell you.

     
  • Do y'all think that food is different? Kids gotta eat. lol
  • I guess I have no issues if at a local game store, maybe pending owner approval since the store needs some chase material to drive foot traffic in. Need to have good stuff if you are a lgs. Can't let your employees buy everything!
  • Originally posted by: kguillemette



    I guess I have no issues if at a local game store, maybe pending owner approval since the store needs some chase material to drive foot traffic in. Need to have good stuff if you are a lgs. Can't let your employees buy everything!



    A situation similar to this ended up driving a local store out of business.   They had an employee that would take in decent retro stuff and keep it for himself.





     
  • If a store is selling merchandise....



    Then yes, it should not be allowed. You are being paid a wage to do a job. You are not being paid a wage to shop in the store and taking away a customer's item. It sours the reputation of the store towards the customers. You want that customer and others in the store buying more items while they are there.



    Once the employee is on break or off the clock then there isn't a problem. You have the same opportunity to purchase as everyone else. First come first serve.
  • Originally posted by: sadikyo



    I was really confused because I thought he was talking about employee stock options, and I was sitting here thinking...why would someone be so uspet about that? hahah. Then I realized you are talking about video game items, doh!





    Glad I wasn’t the only one. Who’d’ve thunk’it, video games in a video game forum.
  • The resell shop I hit has an employee hold policy, but it's only one item at a time. The best option is vote with your wallet and shop elsewhere if it really bothers you.
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