Lily Oxford: Ex-Big Lots manager claims she was fired for 'following a thief outside' to recover goods
OILDALE, CALIFORNIA: An ex-Big Lots manager has alleged that she got fired for pursuing a shoplifter outside of the store to reclaim a cart that belonged to the establishment. Lily Oxford, 52, of Oildale, California claimed she and another manager of the store followed a robber who had left with 15 jugs of Tide detergent in his cart. The incident took place on Friday, April 5, and Oxford, who oversaw the furniture department, claimed she and a coworker failed to apprehend the thief despite getting back the goods.
"For Christmas, we had just got 40 brand new carts," she stated, adding, "It's March, we're down to five carts. So, we are instructed, no carts are to leave that store whatsoever. No matter … customers are not allowed to take it." There have been instances where businesses fired employees citing illogical reasons. In 2022, Shea, a Starbucks employee, stated that she was fired "for being two minutes late," hinting that the justification for her firing was a facade. She said that the reason for her termination was that she had "been a union supporter and involved in organizing."
READ MORE
Ryan Brandt: Waitress who got $4,400 tip FIRED by restaurant as managers take 80% cash
Who owns Big Lots?
Sol Shenk established Consolidated International, Inc., the firm that is now Big Lots, in 1967. He is regarded as a great visionary in the negotiate retail industry, as per the website. Shenk emigrated from Russia in the mid-1900s, bringing with him an astute business sense. He founded Consolidated Stores Corporation in 1967 and operated a discount store selling spare parts in Columbus, Ohio. That store grew into a chain in just four years, ILCTR reported.
Who is Lily Oxford?
Oxford is the manager of the Big Lots store’s furniture section. She started a fundraiser on GoFundMe for financial support after the company fired her and another manager for "following a thief outside to recover my cart and 17 things of Tide pods."
'Thief give me all of the product back!'
Oxford explained the incident on the fundraising page, "This homeless man walked in loaded his cart and walked out, I followed him to get my cart and noticed he was going to a car." She stated that she then pulled out her phone and began recording. "The getaway driver seen I was recording and got scared and literally made the thief give me all of the product back!" the ex-employee stated in the fudnraiser.
Another passenger in the van apologized for the entire situation. "The other guy got out of his car and said, 'Here, ma'am, take it all, take it all,'" Oxford wrote, adding, "I'm thinking, 'Oh great, I'm getting all my stuff back.'" At that moment, Oxford stated that others had observed the scene and had come over to express their support for the two managers.
"I had people, at least three different people out here, applauding me, because it happens so much," Oxford stated. "So many customers see it happen on a daily basis. At least four to five times a day this happens whether they go out the front door or whether they go out the back door. … At least. Bare minimum," she continued.
'I really thought I did a good thing'
A week after following the customer out, Oxford informed KGET that the incident had cost her and her coworker their jobs. "I really thought I did a good thing by recovering the product but instead I was fired," the devastated employee wrote, adding, "I’m a single mom of 2 teenagers and I’m just a little worried about my rent. I’ve already applied for unemployment and I’m filling out applications . I just know there’s waiting periods for me to get paid. Any help would be so appreciated.." The fundraiser has raked in $3,165 of its $3,500 goal at the time of writing.