Ford Fires Worker Over Alleged $8 Doritos Theft After Axing Another For $1 Cookie

American automotive giant Ford has yet again come under scrutiny after an ex-employee claimed that he was fired for allegedly stealing less than $8 worth of Doritos and Ritz crackers. Nick Nabozny, 38, said he was fired in April after he had stopped at the self-serving marketplace following an overtime shift to buy some snacks.

"[Surveillance footage] showed me talking to someone and then when I was done speaking, it shows me grabbing a Milky Way off the shelf, looking at the ingredients, and putting it back," Nabozny was quoted as saying by New York Post.

"I grabbed two different snacks, Doritos and Ritz Crackers with cheese. Then it shows me going to the kiosk and scanning those two items. It shows me pulling my debit card out of my pocket, tapping it and waiting for it to register."

However, after he returned from a family trip to Honduras, he was ordered to report to the company labour office, where the union representative delivered the news of his termination.

When the company rep reviewed the footage, he acknowledged that Nabozny attempted to pay. "Even though it looks like you purchased it after you left, the process timed out, so it's considered theft," Nabozny said he was told.

Nabozny highlighted that the unjust firing had drained his savings. He had cashed out his 401(K), receiving approximately $78,000 after taxes and penalties, which was not enough to sustain a wife and two young sons.

Despite the ordeal, Nabozny said he was willing to look past the issue if Ford hired him again. "I have no hatred towards Ford Motor Company or the [United Auto Workers]. I just want them to do what's right," said Nabozny.

Also Read | 'I'm Shocked': Foreigner Reviews Vande Bharat Sleeper Train 6 Months After Launch, Shares Experience

Previous Instance

Kurt Kromm, 60, who spent 11 years working at Ford's truck factory in Louisville, Kentucky, was fired last year after similar allegations of snack theft were levelled against him. The company alleged that he stole a $1.95 (Rs 186) cookie.

Kromm said he was earning $200,000 (Rs 1.9 crore) at the company and spent approximately $1,200 (Rs 1.14 lakh) in the office canteen last year, which made the accusation hard to fathom. The cookie was a Grandma's Chocolate Chip Cookie, bought after he felt light-headed from low blood sugar.

Kromm said he was accused of stealing, removed from the factory premises unceremoniously, and was made to wait on his paperwork proving innocence. The union bargainer urged Kromm to apologise, but he refused.