Ford fires employees over snacks, then reviews self-checkout machines

Ford Motor Company is reviewing its self-service food kiosks at US manufacturing plants after several employees were dismissed over allegations of stealing snacks, including cookies and chips, before some were later reinstated.

According to reporting by the Detroit Free Press, the review follows claims from employees that they had attempted to pay for the items but were affected by payment failures and possible software issues in the self-checkout system operated by Aramark.

The investigation comes after at least three employees at Ford's Michigan Assembly Plant who were dismissed over alleged theft returned to work following internal investigations that cleared them.

Ford and Aramark investigate reported kiosk issues

Confirming the review, Ford spokesperson Dave Tovar told the Detroit Free Press that the company was aware of reports concerning the kiosks.

"We have invested significantly to upgrade our workplaces, including self-serve kiosks operated by Aramark to provide 24/7 convenience for our employees. We are aware there have been some issues raised regarding the kiosk functionality in some limited cases, and we are working with Aramark to review these situations," he said.

Aramark also confirmed it was examining the reported incidents.

Company spokesperson Chris Collom told the publication the food services provider was "reviewing the instances in question" and remained focused on operating with integrity and accountability.

Workers point to payment failures

According to union members quoted by the Detroit Free Press, employees have reported multiple issues with the self-checkout kiosks, including transactions appearing to complete before failing.

Workers said the reported problems included:

• Transactions timing out after the payment confirmation sound.
• Double charges on payment cards.
• Frozen kiosk screens during checkout.
• Missing payment receipts.

Employees believe these issues may have resulted in some workers being wrongly accused of theft.

Brendan Fluker, an employee at the Michigan Assembly Plant, told the publication workers had experienced kiosk issues for years.

He said employees sometimes heard the payment confirmation sound, only to discover later through their bank statements that the transaction had not been completed. He also described instances of double charging, frozen screens and missing receipts.

Fluker added that recent dismissals had made many employees hesitant to use the kiosks.

Employees challenge dismissal decisions

One of the dismissed employees, Nick Nabozny, told the Detroit Free Press he lost his job after Ford accused him of failing to pay for a bag of Doritos and Ritz crackers purchased from the self-service marketplace at the Michigan Assembly Plant.

Nabozny, who had worked at Ford for nearly nine years, said surveillance footage shown during a disciplinary meeting captured him scanning the products and tapping his debit card. According to him, the kiosk emitted its normal confirmation sound, leading him to believe the payment had gone through.

During the investigation, Ford informed him the transaction had timed out before payment was completed, despite the items being scanned and his card being tapped. Nabozny said he only became aware of the failed payment after checking his bank statement.

His union grievance, according to the publication, states the payment kiosk has "a documented history of malfunctioning" and suggests the incident may have resulted from equipment failure rather than intentional misconduct.

Similar incident reported at another plant

A comparable case emerged at Ford's Kentucky Truck Plant, according to Shifting Gears.

Electrician Kurt Kromm was dismissed after being accused of taking a $1.95 chocolate chip cookie without paying.

Kromm said he completed the payment on a second kiosk after the first attempt failed. He later produced a bank statement showing the payment had been processed.

According to Shifting Gears, Ford subsequently offered to rehire Kromm after confirming the transaction with Aramark, although he had already accepted another job.

Review continues

Ford said it is continuing its review of the kiosk system and has not provided additional updates.

The Detroit Free Press also reported that General Motors, which uses Aramark for vending services, said it had not experienced similar issues. Stellantis declined to comment on its suppliers.

The review is expected to determine whether payment system issues contributed to the employee dismissals and whether further changes to the self-service kiosk process are required.