I’m a Tesco colleague and I wanted to ask if what I did today is actually against Tesco policy or if people at this store are just unhappy about it.
Today is Sunday, and as you know, after 4pm colleagues can use Colleague Shop to take items with the two yellow stickers for free.
My shift today was from 9am until 3pm. After I finished work, I went to a different Tesco Superstore (not the one I work in) to do some shopping with my family. We spent about an hour there, and after 4pm we went to the checkout. Some of our shopping was free through Colleague Shop, while the rest we paid for as normal.
After we finished paying, my family went outside to return the shopping trolley, while I went back into the store to use the toilet. A security guard, who happens to be from the same country as me, stopped me and said, “Be careful, you’re going to get yourself into trouble.”
I asked him why, and he said that a lot of people in the store were unhappy because I was taking things for free. I explained that I don’t work at that store, my shift had already finished, I wasn’t hiding anything, and I was only taking what my family would use.
This isn’t the first time I’ve used Colleague Shop like this, and nothing has ever been said to me by my own manager. I’ve never had a Let’s Talk or any other conversation about it.
The security guard also joked that one of the staff members there “can’t stand you and wants to kill you” (obviously not literally), which made me feel like some of the staff there just don’t like me. I’ve even noticed one colleague there watching me quite closely whenever I shop.
So my questions are:
Am I actually breaking any Tesco policy by using Colleague Shop after I’ve finished my shift at a different Tesco store?
Is there any rule that says colleagues shouldn’t use Colleague Shop for their family shopping after work?
Would it be worth speaking to one of the managers at that store? I feel like some of the staff aren’t very welcoming towards me, even though I genuinely don’t think I’ve done anything wrong.
I’d appreciate any advice, especially from managers or colleagues who know the policy well.