A Walmart employee in Maine claims he was dismissed after leaving his shift early on 19 September to spend his grandmother's final hours with her. Vaughn Sawyer, 29, stated that he informed his manager of the situation and was told he could leave, with the understanding he would return to complete bereavement paperwork. The termination raises questions about employer compassion, particularly given Sawyer's two years of service as a stocking and receiving manager overseeing 15 staff members.

Sawyer had accumulated disciplinary "points" from previous early departures related to parental responsibilities, and apparently crossed a threshold triggering automatic termination. He received no formal exit conversation and learned of his dismissal the following morning when asked if he wanted his final paycheck. Adding to his distress, a photograph of Sawyer that had hung in the manager's office was later discovered in the bin with a hole punched through his forehead, which he described as "very distasteful." Walmart declined to comment on the matter, whilst Sawyer grieves his grandmother, Jacqueline, to whom he was deeply attached.