BOYCOTT Sterling Jewelers (Owner of Kay Jeweler)

We, as employees, and consumers demand all corporations treat people with respect, dignity, and compassion. Sterling Jewelers is one such corporation whose "profit over people" mentality has become increasingly disturbing and must be stopped. It is time to put people over profit or be put out of business.In 2009 Sterling was been sued by the EEOC for paying males more money than females, the case is ongoing. They give retail employees unrealistic selling goals, especially for this economy, and when these inflated goals are not reached they fire employees for no reason other than they didn't materialize buying customers out of thin air adding to the already unacceptable unemployment rate. This leaves people with no job and the daunting prospect of finding new employment.When a customer returns a product because it is faulty or they simply no longer want it, the employee taking the return is then docked the amount from their "goal". For instance, the employees goal is $3000 for the day. They sell $3000 of jewelry that day but take a $3000 return, at no fault of their own. They just lost credit for what they already sold and it will be now viewed as they sold $0. Hardly fair to penalize an employee for something they have no control over.Employees also report too much pressure to sell without regard for the customer, high turnover rate, and management picking favorites. The culture is based on achieving 5 standards daily and year to date, nothing else matters but the bottom line.The amount of consumer complaints is growing by the day, from poor customer service, failure to adhere to advertising, failure to live up to warranties, and for simply selling low end, easily breakable merchandise at high end prices.Sterling is known to have little compassion for employees who go to them because of serious issues with fellow employees or managers. Instances such as retaliation, harassment and even physical assault. Everyone is paid and treated differently with new hires sometimes making more than people who have worked there for years. There are even instances of new hires making more than assistant managers. The company is also known to hire attorneys to threaten people who complain directly to the CEO with arrest if they continue to contact the CEO about the problems with his company. The CEO, Mark Light, refuses to take responsibility and to respond to anyone who contacts him about problems with the company.This company will not accept any responsibility for mistakes they make. They refuse to apologize for any wrong doing and treat people fairly and with compassion. Consumers and employees alike are waking up. It is time to call for a full boycott of the stores owned by Sterling (Kay, Belden, Jareds, etc) and demand a restructuring of the executives. They must publicly apologize to the employees they have treated so unfairly and fired for no reason.