My name is Claire and I worked at The Fresh Market in Chestnut Hill for over four years, a bittersweet experience. I have to say, I love the community, and I loved the opportunity to help all sorts of people while I was an assistant guest service manager. However I was fired last week for giving my discount to a former employee of more than four years.

The former assistant guest service manager, a wonderful young man who I worked alongside for a number of years, asked me for my discount. Being the helpful, caring person that I am, I thought nothing of it to help a friend. Typically we aren’t supposed to discount “just anyone,” but at The Fresh Market, we all (team members and management alike) scan our discount for our friends and family (and sometimes the elderly) in the community to help with the incredibly high cost of groceries.

On this particular Thursday evening, the store manager saw me help this former employee, and decided to call human resources and report me. Needless to say, after over four years of strong leadership and service to the company, (I worked through my entire pregnancy, as well as was diligently on time and never backed down from helping our community of shoppers) I felt singled out and unfairly treated. Thus, I feel as if my story should be told to bring light to the fact that no one deserves to be fired like that without warning and especially for helping the community.

Claire O’Malley

East Falls