He lost his job as a cashier and then his son’s LinkedIn post asking for help went viral

He had a stellar record as a model employee and went beyond his scope as cashier to help shoppers. Picture: Stephane Mahe/Reuters

He had a stellar record as a model employee and went beyond his scope as cashier to help shoppers. Picture: Stephane Mahe/Reuters

Published Mar 22, 2023

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For the past four years Peter Judge made his way to work using public transport to his job at a supermarket in Phoenix, USA.

He had a stellar record as a model employee and went beyond his scope as cashier to help shoppers.

But that all ended when he was fired a month ago.

The problem was that Judge’s job worked on a points system. Employees would lose points for something as mundane as being 10 minutes late for work due to circumstances that were out of their control.

Judge had accrued too many.

“If the lights didn't work in his favour crossing the street, he'd be maybe five or 10 minutes late,” his son Patrick McCarthy told USA Today.

And then there were the days off he had taken which reportedly put his points in the negative.

In an effort to help his father, McCarthy turned to the LinkedIn community to let people know Judge was available to work.

“I’m excited for his next step,” McCarthy wrote in his post. “This guy is someone you want on your team.

“He was a cashier at Winco. He loves his job. He loved his customers. So many faces passed through his lane, and he had so many stories about those faces,” he posted.

Soon the post went viral with nearly 20 000 reactions, USA Today reported.

The responses very positive, with many praising McCarthy for his honest job post about his dad.

And the best part is that the post managed to pay off. McCarthy said that Judge had spoken with several companies about possible opportunities.

“The abundant replies, views and support (were) a lot to fathom,” Judge told the publication.

“I've never been in any situation before where I lost a job, and within days, had incalculable amounts of support from people I don't even know,” Judge said.