Harriet Vane Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 My dd works for a store in a major retail chain at a ginormous mall. There was a small, minor fire at work. Her wool coat was sprayed with fire extinguisher and needs to be dry cleaned. The store pays for this, right? Her manager claims not. In the grand scheme of things, it's not that much money, so it's not a hill to die on. However, I am flabbergasted by the expectation that damage to employee property by a store fire isn't covered by the corporation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 (edited) Yes, the store's insurance should pay for it. Have her contact human resources directly. ETA: Their insurance company may actually have a restoration company that they have do all of their work like this, so if she hasn't had it cleaned, she should wait until she hears from the insurance company. Edited December 23, 2015 by TechWife 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 Yes, the store's insurance should pay. I guess it could be the mall's insurance if the fire was their responsibility, like an electrical problem within the walls. At any rate, she shouldn't pay. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 The store manager is wrong. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 I think the employer should pay for that. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 Employer insurance. I'm sure it is in the manager's interest to keep the amount of stuff claimed down. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solascriptura Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 The employer should pay for it, but I wouldn't bother. It will be such a hassle to file a claim for a relatively small amount of money. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted December 23, 2015 Author Share Posted December 23, 2015 The employer should pay for it, but I wouldn't bother. It will be such a hassle to file a claim for a relatively small amount of money. This is likely the route we will take. Just irritated and looking for affirmation. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 Is it damaged or just dirty? If it was ruined, I'd expect their insurance to cover the value of the item (not necessarily replacement value). However, if it's just a matter of cleaning the item I wouldn't expect them to pay. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 does the manager own the store - or just manage a branch? the stores insurance should cover costs to clean up the messes from the damage. including cleaning the coat. the manager is trying to minimize the expenses associated with said fire. I'd go over his head. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenn- Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 If it was minor enough that they were able to extinguish without calling the fire department, they may not plan on filing a claim at all. If this is a branch of a chain, it might not even be reported to the main company (especially if the manager feels responsible for it). I strongly believe that the store is responsible in this case, but I don't think it is worth making her life harder at work by making an issue out of it. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 If it was minor enough that they were able to extinguish without calling the fire department, they may not plan on filing a claim at all. If this is a branch of a chain, it might not even be reported to the main company (especially if the manager feels responsible for it). I strongly believe that the store is responsible in this case, but I don't think it is worth making her life harder at work by making an issue out of it. Except if the fire was the manager's fault, it makes me wonder what else he doesn't want his home office to find out about. Making her life harder for the moment may make it easier for herself or someone else from a safety standpoint in the future. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 That's crummy really. If a friend came over to my home and this happened, I would pay to clean it. I wouldn't even care if my insurance would cover that or not. In the work situation that seems even worse to me. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 The employer should pay for it, but I wouldn't bother. It will be such a hassle to file a claim for a relatively small amount of money. Not a small amount of money to a store employee, though. Plus this will help the young person learn how to stand up for their rights and deal with insurance etc. over a small matter - preparation for whatever the future may hold. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 Not a small amount of money to a store employee, though. Plus this will help the young person learn how to stand up for their rights and deal with insurance etc. over a small matter - preparation for whatever the future may hold. Exactly! Basically could eat up a day's work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawthorne44 Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 Also, what if you pay to have it dry cleaned and it can't be brought back to how it was before? At that point you've taken responsibility for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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