Regarding Employees Taking Away Shoe Samples Secretly Instead of Destroying Them from the Factory
Question: I work in a shoe factory where sample shoes are created before full production. One sample of each design is retained, leading to hundreds of accumulated samples over time. To free up space, management disposes of these samples by cutting them up. Despite strict rules prohibiting workers from taking any samples, some employees take a few pairs home for personal use or gifts without informing authority. Meanwhile, management staff often take samples using their authority. Our rationale is that utilizing these items is better than wasting them, especially when management does the same. Is this permissible?
Answer: Owners enforce these restrictions primarily to protect proprietary designs and business confidentiality. Therefore, taking sample shoes without authorization is impermissible for everyone. Misconduct or policy violations by management personnel do not justify similar actions by workers. While utilizing discarded items may seem practical, business operations and market regulations sometimes require destroying products despite financial loss.
Answered by: Allama Mufti Ubaidur Rahman Khan Nadwi
Source: Jami’ul Fatawa, Islamic Fiqh and Fatwa Encyclopedia.
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