In May, 2012 Safeway meat counter employee, Ryan Young, stopped a man from assaulting a pregnant store customer. No one else came to the woman’s aid. After an investigation, police gave Mr. Young a letter commending him for his actions.
Yet Safeway suspended Ryan from his job without pay pending discharge. Workplace violence policies aim to avoid possible injury to employees when they render aid, and dissuade any employee from hurting another person. Lawyers for employers worry if a good guy injures a bad guy while rendering aid, the employer may be forced by law to pay out huge sums of money to the bad guy.