A shop assistant stood down after he went viral for confronting a woman allegedly using an empty child’s pram to steal has been ‘struggling mentally’ in the wake of his ordeal.
Viral video shows the worker stopping the woman outside Supercheap Auto in Ashmore, on the Gold Coast, last month after she allegedly tried to flee with items stashed in the pram.
After an expletive-ridden showdown, the employee recovered some of the allegedly stolen goods before the woman fled the scene.
Supercheap Auto said the worker was stood down pending an investigation, sparking outrage among Australians and leading many other local companies to step up and offer the man a job.
A Supercheap Auto employee who was stood down pending an investigation after footage (pictured) of him confronting an alleged thief went viral has reportedly been ‘struggling mentally’
Michael Farrar, who owns Autobarn in nearby Burleigh Heads, told Daily Mail Australia the still-unnamed Supercheap Auto worker contacted him after he publicly offered him a job.
Mr Farrar said the worker admitted he has been ‘struggling mentally’ amid the turmoil with his current employer and accidental internet fame.
Out of respect for the worker, Mr Farrar said he could not confirm whether he had accepted his job offer, however, the business owner said ‘positive things’ were on the horizon.
It is understood Supercheap Auto expects the man to return to work next Monday.
Mr Farrar said he offered the man the position after being impressed by how he handled the situation.
Mr Farrar said his business had lost around $15,000 worth of goods over the past two years due to thieves.
Autobarn Burleigh Heads owner Michael Farrar (pictured) said the man has been ‘struggling mentally’ amid his ordeal
The man has been in contact with Mr Farrar after the business owner offered him a position at Autobarn, in Burleigh Heads (pictured)
The rival automotive company issued a post calling on the man to contact them over a job proposal
‘His actions showed to me that he is a loyal person and someone we would want on our team,’ Mr Farrar previously told the Gold Coast Bulletin.
Supercheap Auto confirmed on Monday the worker had been stood down ‘while the situation was investigated’, which is ‘standard practice after an event of this nature’.
The employee was stood down with pay.
‘At all times, we remain focused on the health, safety and wellbeing of our team members and customers,’ a spokesperson said.
The move sparked fury with Aussies calling for the worker to instead be rewarded for his efforts.
Dozens more are threating to boycott the store over the ‘woke’ decision.
The embattled employee has since been inundated with job offers, with local car wreckers Southport Auto recyclers also scouting him for a role.
‘If anyone knows him tell him to DM us or tag him, we would like to interview him for a position should he require one!’ they wrote on Facebook.
‘After watching the video it’s crazy that supercheap have stood him down after the commitment to them he demonstrated!’
In footage of the altercation a large cardboard box falls from the woman’s pram onto the pavement (pictured)
The footage shows the frustrated employee grabbing the pram while the woman pretends there is a baby inside
The video posted online last month showed the woman tightly gripping her decoy pram, pretending there was a baby inside, as she bickered with the employee.
The employee threatened to ‘call the cops’ if she didn’t return the allegedly stolen items as the woman tried to move the stroller out of his reach.
‘Let my baby go,’ she screamed as the man took hold of its handles and looked inside.
‘You haven’t even got a baby in there,’ the man calmly replied.
‘Don’t touch my baby,’ the woman screamed again as the employee noticed a box stowed inside the pram that was covered with a blanket.
‘Oh there’s a box in there!’ the man cries in mock surprise.
The woman then seemingly gave up on her ploy and told the retail worker he could have ‘the f**king motor’.
She pushed a large cardboard box out of the pram and onto the pavement for the man to collect before finally calling him a ‘f**khead’.
A second video later posted online showed the woman barging him out of the way and storming off down the carpark, away from the automotive supplies store.
Queensland Police said detectives were unaware of any complaints made about the incident.
A second clip later posted online shows the woman barging past the employee and taking off down the car park as another worker picks up an allegedly stolen rotor