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Lululemon CEO fires two workers for reporting robbery to police. Here's why

The store has a strict zero-tolerance policy for engaging with thieves

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Two employees working at a Lululemon store in Atlanta, US, were fired after they called the police to report a robbery last month.

Now, the CEO of the athleisure brand has responded to the incident, saying that the workers were sacked for knowingly breaking company policy. The employee called the police when three masked men entered the store, media has reported.

In an interview with CNBC, Lululemon CEO Calvin McDonald said that the company has a “zero-tolerance policy" that they train their employees on around "engaging during theft”.

The CEO said that they put the safety of their “team and guests front and centre” and that “it’s only merchandise at the end”. He added that the educators or the store workers are “trained to step back, let the theft occur, and know that there's technology and cameras", and that they are working with law enforcement.

Defending his decision to terminate the workers’ employment, Calvin McDonald said, “Unfortunately, in this situation, the educators knowingly broke the policy and engaged with the thieves across multiple points-including following them out of the store."

"Post-investigation, the zero-tolerance policy, which is well known, was what resulted in the termination."

He stated that the company trains its workers to step back, adding that they “take that policy seriously" because they have witnessed instances where employees have stepped in and are hurt or killed.

According to the New York Post, the two female employees reported the robbery at the Lululemon store to the Gwinnett Police Department after which they were fired. Masked men had entered the store last month before decamping with clothing. A video of the incident did rounds on the Internet where the workers were heard asking the miscreants to leave the store.

“No, no, no, you can march back out,” one of the employees was heard saying.

The women also followed the robbers outside the store as they fled in their car.

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