Shop owner lie tests staff after lingerie 'heist'

When more than $6000 worth of lingerie went missing from a US sex shop the owner invoked his inner sleuth and had all his employees subjected to a lie detector test.

Tony Panzino, the owner of Florida-based Premier Couples Superstore, said he hired a polygrapher to administer the test that was passed by all his staff except Amrita Alexander, who he described as a "99 percent fail", WKMG reports.

Ms Alexander was fired and subsequently filed a lawsuit alleging her boss broke a law that prevents employers from subjecting their workers to lie detector tests.

Mr Panzino said the workers made to take the test were not considered suspects in the lingerie heist but Ms Alexander said her boss warned all employees they would be fired if they refused to submit to the test.

Two days after taking the polygraph Ms Alexander said she was terminated based on the results.

The sex shop owner rejects the assertion.

"I did not fire her for failing the test," he said.

Instead, he argued that she was fired for the way she reacted to the news that she had failed.

The Employee Polygraph Protection Act prohibits most private employers from lie testing their worker except in some cases where workers "are reasonably suspected of involvement in a workplace incident that resulted in specific economic loss or injury to the employer."

The act also requires employers to give their staff written notice that explains their rights and which questions are prohibited.

In her lawsuit Ms Alexander said workers were only given a document titled '48 Hours Notice' but offered no further explanation.

She has declined to comment

Source: WKMG

Author: Martin Zavan, Approving editor: Simon Black