Target employees fired - then rehired - for buying Zhu Zhu Pets

Merry Christmas Eve, everyone! Today I bring you a story that I intended to post last week, but didn't get around to it. Which turns out OK, since there's been an update since then.

Back on Dec. 18th, the Consumerist reported a story out of Buffalo, NY, that a veteran Target employee claimed that she was fired for purchasing a Zhu Zhu pet. The chain told TV station WKBW that all employees were clearly instructed in a memo not to purchase the robot hamsters before 4 A.M., which the employee denies. Flashforward to Dec. 20th, and the Consumerist updated its story that 6 more Target employees were fired for purchasing Zhu Zhu Pets at the end of their shifts. In a statement, Target claims that its policy forbidding employees from buying hot items before store opening time was made clear to employees--a claim that the seven total now-former employees denied.

But this story has a happy ending. On Monday, the Consumerist reported that the Zhu Zhu Seven had been "unfired". From The Buffalo News:

"They made the purchases at about 5 a.m. before the end of their shift but days later were told "popular items" could not be bought until the store opened at 8 a.m. — though overnight workers are normally permitted to make purchases during off hours. Then, the firings occurred Wednesday, with the store manager stating the policy regarding two-day ad items had been posted above the employee time clock, a point that was disputed by one of the workers. But Target said the policy is also in the employee handbook and exists to make sure customers have the same purchasing opportunities as its employees."