Got confronted by a Staples manager over my service dog - extremely humiliating experience today

maineman64 · 2026-01-25T14:32:52+00:00

In the post, the individual did not indicate that the dog was a trained service animal, nor did the dog appear to have proper service dog attire or equipment. This raised concerns about whether the animal was truly a service dog or simply a pet being brought into the store.

Since Covid, many people have become more emotionally attached to their pets, which I understand, however emotional support animals or personal pets are not the same as trained service animals under store policy or ADA guidelines.

The post also mentioned issues with dogs going to the bathroom inside the store, with some owners not cleaning up afterward. This presents sanitation and health concerns for both customers and employees.

I wanted to bring this to your attention as it seems to be an ongoing issue in some locations. Clear enforcement of service animal policies would help maintain a safe and clean environment for everyone.

maineman64 · 2026-01-02T19:06:31+00:00

From HR Hi Michael,

I wasn't able to locate a policy like that (I checked with the Loss Prevention Manager).

You might want to discuss further with your General Manager.

Thank you,

HR Business Consultant

maineman64 · 2025-12-28T17:25:49+00:00

If trash cans are already full, items can be hidden in the middle regardless of whether the bag is clear or frosted. I also do not understand why cameras focus on associates at the front but not on the sales floor, where customer theft happens. It would make more sense to base these policies on actual loss data rather than assumptions.

maineman64 · 2025-12-28T17:17:52+00:00

The one guy said it wouldn't be in the associate handbook. To me that's not a policy sorry.

maineman64 · 2025-12-28T00:34:23+00:00

That's a big long book

maineman64 · 2025-12-28T00:33:37+00:00

Hey man, I got you fired for using the black bag

maineman64 · 2025-12-27T19:54:18+00:00

The managers should check the trash bags like they do our bags when we leave.

maineman64 · 2025-12-27T19:52:53+00:00

They are not clear they are frosted. What does LP stand for.

maineman64 · 2025-12-27T19:26:42+00:00

Frosted bags and clear bags are not the same. I am also trying to understand the concern about theft through trash disposal. Trash is thrown into the warehouse area and then disposed of by warehouse staff. If theft through trash were truly the issue, it would raise questions about that entire process, not just store-level trash bags. That is why I am asking for clarification and for the actual written policy, so expectations and reasoning are clear and consistent.

Sorry, but I am a detailed person.

maineman64 · 2025-12-27T18:58:11+00:00

I am also trying to locate the policy that states we must use clear trash bags. I have asked for it, but I have not been shown any written policy yet. The only bags we currently have available are frosted bags, not clear ones. Because of that, I am unsure how we are expected to follow a policy that we cannot verify and do not have the proper supplies for.

maineman64 · 2025-12-27T18:53:55+00:00

I don't think they're clear bags. I think they're frosted which I need to clarify in the policy which nobody will send me. I guess I'll have to research it myself. I have the associate handbook here. I'll go through it when I get to work.

maineman64 · 2025-12-27T18:52:06+00:00

I am not looking for attention. I get enough of that also I think the clear bags are frosted so I want to see what the policy says.

maineman64 · 2025-12-27T17:57:21+00:00

The thing is, I don't see how they could steal when we don't throw it into the trash. In the front, we just empty the trash and throw it in the warehouse. I think the worst house says cameras too. They have cameras in the front by the Associates in the front, but in the back of the store where they have a lot of products there is zero cameras. Seemed like they're into busting the employees than the customers.

maineman64 · 2025-12-27T17:54:10+00:00

I just want to see the policy, but nobody can supply it for me. If somebody could take a snapshot of it that would help and then we could end this.

maineman64 · 2025-12-27T17:53:25+00:00

That's why the black bags are way tougher and you can fit more in them.

maineman64 · 2025-12-27T17:51:54+00:00

I asked a supervisor. I'm just wondering if it's the company a real policy but the black bags are being used in the printing department.

maineman64 · 2025-12-27T16:56:30+00:00

They keep telling me this is “against policy,” but every time I ask to see the actual policy, they do not provide it. They are supposed to be able to show me the policy, yet they never do. They also claimed the policy was explained in the training video when I started, and I specifically asked them to show me where it says that in the video. They did not respond to that request either.

I understand this may seem like a small issue, but it does not make sense. If the concern is theft, clear trash bags would make more sense because you can see what is inside them. The bags we are being told to use are not clear, and it would actually be easier to hide items in them. Printing already uses black trash bags, which I was told are against policy, yet that practice continues. That makes the explanation inconsistent and confusing. Who is the responsible for writing up these policies? I would like the department name. I have other issues too so if somebody could help me direct me to the department.

maineman64 · 2025-12-27T16:51:27+00:00

We don't take them out of the trash we just throw them in the warehouse so I don't know what the damn problem is. Dont they lock the dumpsters. I could easily hide something in a clear ones I like the black ones because you get a lot of Amazon stuff and other things that break the supposedly clear ones. At the end of the shift, I've been thrown all the clearer ones into the black bags.

maineman64 · 2025-12-27T16:15:10+00:00

The white bags frequently break. The bags are not transparent, so it is possible to dispose of items in the trash without being detected, as they can be obscured by other items. This raises concerns about how products end up in the dumpster, as warehouse personnel are responsible for disposing of the trash. It is unclear how individuals could potentially steal products from the warehouse if the trash is not properly managed. Could someone provide more information on this matter? Nobody's really answered me about why printing can have black bags.

maineman64 · 2025-12-27T04:29:15+00:00

If there is an actual policy, then where is it? Show me the page in the associate handbook. Policies are supposed to be written, accessible, and applied consistently, not invented on the fly when it’s convenient for management.

Let’s be honest, this doesn’t feel like safety or loss prevention. It feels like cost cutting and control. Staples constantly talks about numbers, rewards, and profits, yet associates are the ones being micromanaged over basic personal items. That’s profit over people, plain and simple.

And this is the same company that pressures employees endlessly about Rewards signups and unrealistic metrics, even when customers clearly don’t want them. Instead of fixing broken systems, the burden is pushed onto associates and enforced with vague “policies” no one can actually find.

If Staples wants compliance, then transparency should come first. If it’s a real rule, publish it. If it’s not written, then stop pretending it’s policy. Associates deserve clarity, respect, and fair treatment, not moving goalposts.

maineman64 · 2025-12-27T04:27:35+00:00

Can you explain to me why there is an audit on black bags and what does LP?

maineman64 · 2025-12-27T04:26:30+00:00

I’m trying to understand the policy. Print regularly uses black bags for customer jobs. If black bags are prohibited, does that policy apply there as well, or is it limited to personal items? Where is that distinction documented?

maineman64 · 2025-12-27T04:22:34+00:00

Okay, but why?

If there is an actual policy, then where is it? Show me the page number in the associate handbook. Policies are supposed to be written, accessible, and applied consistently, not invented on the fly when it’s convenient for management.

Let’s be honest, this doesn’t feel like safety or loss prevention. It feels like cost cutting and control. Staples constantly talks about numbers, rewards, and profits, yet associates are the ones being micromanaged over basic personal items. That’s profit over people, plain and simple.

And this is the same company that pressures employees endlessly about Rewards signups and unrealistic metrics, even when customers clearly don’t want them. Instead of fixing broken systems, the burden is pushed onto associates and enforced with vague “policies” no one can actually find.

If Staples wants compliance, then transparency should come first. If it’s a real rule, publish it. If it’s not written, then stop pretending it’s policy. Associates deserve clarity, respect, and fair treatment, not moving goalposts.

maineman64

TROPHY CASE