Kmart introduces new rule that prevents workers from announcing missing children
Kmart has angered parents with their new policy that forbids them from announcing that children are missing inside their stores.
As a Sydney mum quickly found out when her son went missing in the store, the announcements that detailed what the child looked like, what they were wearing as well as their age and name are simply a thing of the past.
She shared her experience on the Northern Beaches Mums Facebook Group.
"My mum and dad took my three-year-old son to Kmart today and my son decided to hide,” she wrote.
"He was missing for 15 minutes.
"My dad stayed at the front entrance to catch him on the way out if he tried to leave.
"They asked to make an announcement and they were refused saying they couldn’t due to [a] child protection issue.
"What else could be done in this situation to help find a lost or hiding child in a store?"
Many were surprised by the change, as they questioned what could be done to locate their children if they went missing inside the store.
'I would have freaked ... if they can’t call it out where was the help,' said one commenter.
One of the group members mentioned that they work in retail and were able to explain why there was a change in policy.
"I work in a retail store and when we have a missing child, we call all available staff to the front and let them know the situation and then go looking for the child," she said.
"We’re not allowed to announce that there’s a missing child anymore.
"[It’s] because of Child Protection Policies.
"We used to announce what the child was wearing, but now we’re not allowed to even mention there’s a child missing."