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1 recipientsCC: recipientsYou MoreShow Details FROM:Lynda Kozak TO:lyndakozak@***.com Message flagged Tuesday, July 19, 2011 12:51 PMMessage bodyTo whom this may concern;

I am writing this letter in regards to the termination of employment of Shelley Edwards from the Bellingham big lots store. I don't know if you will even take the time to read this letter, but with all due respect, I feel implored to write this letter on her behalf.

I am going to start at the beginning. Shelley Edwards was hired as the store manager of big lots in Bellingham in January of 2001. Shelley Edwards had been employed by big lots Corporation from 2001 to 2011. During the time in which Shelley Edwards was employed, she took the store for making $2.2 million a year up to and over $5 million store in eight years.

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In July of 2011, there was a complaint made by one of her employees by the name of Rebekah Gershwa. Rebecca Gershwa moved in with Linda Kozak, Shelley's daughter, in April of 2010. At that time, Rebecca Gershwa had no job and no place to live.

Shelley Edwards hired Rebecca Gershwa as a part-time employee. During the time that Rebecca Gershwa was employed with big lots, she received several writeups for failure to do her job correctly. As a result of a current write up, Rebecca Gershwa decided to complain to the corporate office about Ms.Shelley Edwards. This was after Ms. Rebecca Gershwa, was given a 30 day notice to move from Lynda Kozak. First and foremost, I believe this to be in retaliation to her 30 day notice, with her regards to information supplied by her to the corporate office in her complaint. I also notice that even though Ms. Gershwaw has had two write-ups, she is still employed with Big Lots.

Among the allegations and reason for termination against Ms. Shelley Edwards are as follows;

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1. Allowing her daughter, Linda Marie Kozak, to work for big lots doing window washing and pressure washing of the sidewalks. Also mentioned, was that Mrs. Shelley Edwards allowed her daughter Linda, to stay and work overnight at big lots on one occasion.

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For your information, Sheila Marquise, was aware that Shelley Edwards had hired Linda Kozak to wash windows and pressure wash the sidewalks. Sheila also was aware that Shelley Edwards was doing payouts to pay for this service. At one point last year, Sheila Marquise stated that payouts were no longer allowed for this service. Sheila Marquise, continued to ask Shelley to have the windows and sidewalks pressure washed for visits from the corporate office. At one point an application from an outside company was submitted and hired by Shelley Edwards but never showed up on two occasions to perform the service. Shelley Edwards continued to use the services of Linda Kazak because reliability was not an issue, and paid Linda Kozak from her own pocket. No longer were payout from the store being used to pay Ms. Linda Kozak. This continued for one year. At no time was it inquired upon who was providing the window washing service or the pressure washing service, nor how it was being paid for. However, only good comments were made regarding the

good work performed, how nice the windows and sidewalk looked. I also know that another Store manager named Kelly, on a conference call for all to hear, announced that her son was taking merchandise from the store to there home and putting it together in their garage, and also taking home shelving from the store and painting it. At no time during the conference did loss prevention, upper management or anyone say it was wrong!

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There was one evening when the store would not close due to an alarm issue. Shelley Edwards had to go up to the store and stay overnight because the alarm company was unavailable to come out until the next day. Shelley was told to stay in the store overnight. Nothing was said about asking another employee to come to the store to stay with Shelley Edwards. It is big lots company policy, that no employee or store manager shall open or close, or stay overnight in the store alone. Shelley Edwards was given no additional payroll to cover an overnight employee. For fear of being in the store alone overnight, she asked her daughter Linda Kozak to come and keep her company and keep her safe. At no time that evening, did Linda Kozak, perform any

company related work in the store. She was only there for companionship, safety and moral support. At no time was Linda Marie Kazak compensated by big lots for her time in this matter.

At no time during the night did Shelley Edwards receive any calls from corporate or loss prevention regarding if she was alone, safe, and if there were any problems. It is to my understanding that no one returned Mrs. Edwards calls! I also see how it was ok to have Lynda Kozak work for thee days before the fourth of July for Big Lots promoting Big Lots with her business, bounce house, hot dogs ect with no objections from Big Lots upper management. In fact, it was raved about and business nearly doubled that first day!!

2. Allowing her daughter, Linda Marie Kozak, to remove donated merchandise and markdowns from the big lots property. Was accused of giving these items or storing these items in Linda Kozak's garage, were the allegations.

First of all, Shelley Edwards follow the proper procedures for marking out the donated items .Linda Marie Kozak, would pick these items up from the store, and take them to the following donation sites: St. peters church, the ladies auxiliary, the Bellingham fire department, the battered women's shelter, and several other charities including the Cancer Institute in Bellingham. At one point, Shelley Edwards had given the large box of harvest related items to Linda Kozak to be taken to the Bellingham fire department. Upon arriving at the Bellingham fire department, Linda Kozak was told that their next charity event would be in the summer of 2011. And at this time they had no place to store the merchandise. Linda Kozak agreed to store the merchandise and donate it in August of 2011.(I have the Captains name and phone # that dealt with this matter).

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Rebecca Gershwin in retaliation against Shelley Edwards, apparently took photographs of Linda Kozak's storage unit and garage, and proceeded to lie to the corporate office and the investigators and said that Shelley Edwards was stealing merchandise and giving it to her daughter Linda Kozak who was storing it in her storage and garage. She also mentioned that several boxes in Linda Kozak's garage were boxes from big lots with big lots merchandise in them.

For your information, Linda Marie Kozak, Shelley's daughter, has receipts since the year 2002, in the total amount of $9856.43 for items that she has purchased at big lots for her business, and at the time of the allegations a courtesy was extended for them to come to Linda Kozak's home, and view the contents at will. Because the Linda Kozak's business deals with children, seniors, and holiday events, such as an annual Easter egg hunt, pumpkin patch, Halloween fright night, Christmas parade and breakfast with Santa, and other seasonal activities, Linda Kozak would buy a tremendous amount of reduced and marked down items at the end of each season. At no time, did Linda Kazak use, or asked to use, Shelley Edwards employee discount. When asked by

other cashiers upon checking out if they were to use it, (Shelley Edwards discount code) Linda Kozak would inform them that she is not eligible to be used on the discount. I know for a fact being Shelley Edwards's daughter, that Shelley has never ever stolen or taken anything from big lots that she did not pay for. Also this allegation and reason for terminating Shelley Edwards from her job, is based solely on word-of-mouth by one individual, a fairly new disgruntled employee. If anything, Shelley Edwards has spent more than 30% of her payroll check, buying Big Lots products!

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3. Several times Shelley Edwards was alledged napping or sitting in her office chair dozing off.

For your information, Shelley Edwards was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009. For a period of eight months to a year, Shelley Edwards was going through high-intensity radiation and chemotherapy for breast cancer. Shelley Edwards did not take a leave of absence, or asked for additional time off while she was going through these treatments. The Corporation, her bosses, her employees, and a loss prevention were all aware of these treatments and that these treatments were taking a lot out of Shelley Edwards. Shelley Edwards continued to work sometimes 10 days in a row ten-hour days while getting these treatments. At times these treatments would make Shelley Edwards is sick to a point of having to go to the ladies room and throw up however she

still remained at her job and performing to the best of her ability. Only during slow periods, or in reaction to a treatment, or after throwing up, after working seven straight days, ten-hour days, which he occasionally have to lay her head on her desk for a few moments to catch her breath or

battle nausea. This allegation considering the facts involved has disability discrimination written all over it considering the fact that everyone involved was aware of what was happening to Shelley Edwards with her breast cancer and encouraged her to continue working.

4. The last allegation involves using what Big Lots calls a slush fund to reconcile overages or underage for cashiers.

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For the eight years that Shelley Edwards has worked for big lots company, Shelley has at times, used a tray of small change to assist cashiers to balance when they came to her with a

drawer and not be able to balance it correctly. Other managers would do the same thing. At no time was anything mentioned by anyone regarding this matter. Considering the fact that big lots brings in approximately $500,000 a month, and that Shelley's store has had inventory results exceeding the high standards of the big Lots Corporation, and has had minimal shrinkage over most other big lots stores, and has had no major issues regarding loss prevention, and the top percentile of accuracy in the days opening and closing receipts, seems very minimal to keep otherwise fantastic cashiers and employees happy and from losing their job because they were a penny or a nickel short or over. Common sense says it takes more time, payroll dollars, investigation into a drawer that's a nickle short or over than to just rectify it then and there. It is to my knowledge that after terminating Shelley Edwards as a result of this discrepancy with company policy, for other managers got verbal and written writeups for the same thing, whereas Shelley Edwards had never recede of verbal or written warning in the 10 years that she has been a store manager for the big lots Corporation.

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In closing, I want you to know that my statement above is true and factual, I have all receipts, pictures, letters, awards, certificates, medical records ,donation receipts, and statements from both current and past employees to give full credit to the above statement. To tell you the truth, after reading the above statement, I don't see any wrong doing by Mrs. Shelley Edwards that warranted terminating her from her job. If anything, maybe item number four, use of the slush funds to help cashiers balance their drawers may have warranted a written warning, as only a written warning for the same offense was given to four other younger managers that day, for the

same offense, and you chose to terminate Shelley Edwards instead.

I BELIEVE that you wrongfully terminated her, failed to give an appropriate warning,

failed to train properly upper management teams, terminated employment for both Disability related reasons and Age Discrimination reasons and the facts above prove so. We have a 63 year old store manager, WITH AN 10 YEAR ALL STELLAR OUTSTANDING TRACK RECORD, WITH BREAST CANCER THAT HAS BEEN TERMINATED FROM HER JOB WITH NO WRITTEN WARNINGS AND NO LAWFUL REASON.

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I explore you to at least take the time to investigate this matter fully! As we will when we contact our attorney. You may consider me bias because I am Shelley's daughter. But being Shelleys daughter I also know the truth and I know that you have devastated her well being, had no legitimate forth right reason to terminate her employment, and you put yet another unemployed worker out into an already over unemployed enviroment. A 63 year old unemployed worker!. I am not taking this lightly as I know the hours, the worries, the work,(including your use of her knowledge to train other stores including the dock to stock program), and effort she made

opening and keeping that store of the Big Lots Corporation running top notch.

These mistakes or violation of company policy did not warrant termination

It warranted a written and verbal warning as you did with the other four Managers for the same offense at the same store for the same complaint. It also warranted some training by the Corporation and review of Company policy to correct it. I believe the fact that because Shelley Edwards is 63 years old and had health issues that you intentionally looked for any reason you could to terminate the companies responsibilities to her, a company employee.

I also believe that because of her value to your Company, Big Lots, she was one of the highest paid Store Managers in the company and you wanted to release the burden of $50k a year buy terminating her and hiring a much younger, healthy Store manager at a lower rate of salary.

You have lost more than a Store Manager, you have bigger worries now because you've lost my business and my customers business now!

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Location: Bellingham, Washington

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Guest

Curious as to whether the lawyer got her what she deserves. I am in a very similar situation.

Guest

I am sorry to hear that, I hope they were able to get back to you in a positive way. It sounds like you and your Mother are pretty amazing.

I hope the two of you and your families are doing Amazing.

Best wishes!!

Guest

It seems like you had a legitimate complaint. It's too bad you didn't spell or grammar check. I "explore" you to look into one.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-612933

How petty

Guest

Sorry about your mother, but it is against big lots policy to hire family for whatever the reason wether its washing sidewalks or being a cashier. U should never let employees move in with you or hire a friend that is living under your roof bad idea.

You never know what could happen. In this case your mother lost her job.

I would save the money for the lawyer and put it in your mothers retirement fund you will never win you do not have a case. Your mother broke company policy when she hired family to wash sidewalks.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-481685

I worked for Big Lots and it was okay with them to have a family member wash my sidewalks. Big Lots thinks they are Ft Knox or something when in fact the jokers they have doing their loss prevention are a bunch of losers that cant make it in the real world.

I could spend hours laughing at some of the *** these idiots come up with to fire someone. I think they get a bonus if they can fire someone. I am so sorry this happened to you and your family but trust me you are so much better off without that place.

I would rather live in a tent in the winter time living off rat *** then work for Big lots ever again. Sounds like you had the same LP as they do here in Colorado.

Guest

SQtypical of Big Lots corporate office to protect their district and regional managers and their Loss Prevention teams. They blame store managers and terminate their employment, protecting their L.P.

most of all. Their L.P.

is most to blame - if they ever did their jobs correctly, problems would rarely get out of control as they did in this instance. :p

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