Seven Target workers claim they have been fired after they purchased special-edition Stanley cups.
The chain is one of the biggest retailers in the US, with close to 2,000 stores across the country.
Catherine Carter is one of those who has worked a lot of hours for Target, starting at 3:30am every work day for the past two years.
Carter worked at a Target store near Miami, Florida, where she would lead her team in preparing five departments to sell the wide variety of stock sold at the store.
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Before the dreaded early wake-ups, Carter worked the overnight shift for the three years. She subsequently spent 19 years with Target, and in that time she'd 'never been written up, never called out, never been late'.
But that all changed earlier this month.
On 3 January, Carter stopped by her store's Starbucks while on break when she says she was asked by the barista if she wanted to buy one of the exclusive Starbucks x Stanley mugs.
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Speaking to Business Insider, Carter said: "My mama passed from breast cancer, so I always try to get as much pink as I can."
The next week, Carter claims she was fired from her position at Target due to the purchasing the cup, which retails at $49.95.
Apparently, she had violated the employee purchase guidelines, which bans employees from using their jobs to 'gain an unfair advantage over guests'.
Carter is just one of several Target workers who claim they were let go in relation to the cup, with one team lead in Maryland alleging to Business Insider that she was sacked for allowing one to be sold before the official release date.
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"I don't need another Starbucks cup. I don't need a Stanley. I don't need any of this," she said. "I allowed one of my team members to buy a cup because he was my team member and he was one of the people who was consistently closing with me. When we'd have call-outs I could count on him to come in and help."
As part of Business Insider's investigation, it found two cases of workers who bought a cup that was improperly set aside by a colleague, both of which allegedly resulted in their jobs being lost.
Others, including Cater's situation, claim managers witnessed or approved the purchases of the cup.
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"I just don't think they're doing right," Carter said of Target. "I mean, for a cup. Come on, a cup."
UNILAD has reached out to Target for comment.
Callum Jones