in response to salsi...
a customer that came into his store that needed help retrieving some items and taking her groceries to the car
According to the ADA - retail stores are required to make the items accessible to all customers. That is where, I think the store made its first mistake.
The second mistake is considering firing such a considerate employee - Provided your husband did not leave a register unattended or create another possible harmful situation by assisting the customer.
Customers are the lifeblood of EVERY business. If they cannot access the products for sale, why would they do business there? If a company has employees willing to go the extra mile to help their customers, they should be rewarded, not punished. It only makes good business sense.
Most businesses thrive on word of mouth advertising. Imagine what that customer will say to their friends when they talk about what your husband did for them. Now, your husband might think its nothing, but to that customer, I am sure it was a HUGE relief to get some assistance.
Now, imagine, if you will, what that customer will say to their friends if your husband gets fired for helping a customer. How many people do you think would do business with a company that cares less for its employees than it does for its customers?
Word of mouth advertising is very effective when used properly.
However, this is only my opinion. Check with the ADA for legal answers in this matter.
I think the ADA would be best to answer your question. From what I can see, there could be a fine line here and it all depends on the circumstances. But I did find some Q&A that might be able to shed some light on the situation.
I hope this helps...
