...I would definitely take that away from them, stray or not.
Also, yes it is corporate telling us that non-"key-holders" (supervisors and managers) are not allowed to take anything out of the store, including trash, because it's a liability issue in their eyes. We might steal it. Specifically, we might throw things in the trash for the explicit purpose of stealing them after taking the trash outside. That doesn't technically get in the way of my job for the most part because it is not my job, then. What is getting in the way of my job is receiving more of products we already have backstock for, new products that technically have a spot on the shelf according to the computer but their spot isn't cleared and the tags on the shelves aren't replaced yet (so also not my responsibility, but it's on the cart, the emptying of which IS my responsibility, and i have to move them out of my way), and other people stocking the shelves incorrectly, so nothing is in the right place and the spot where the products i have need to go are occupied. Then I have a cart that's 1/4 overstock including some excessive cases where we already had more, 1/4 new products management needs to sort out, and 1/4 that i can actually put on the shelves, but only after I clear space on the shelves, and 1/4 products that I can actually put in their space correctly. And the warehouse is backed up with overstock and a mess in general.
I also assumed the manager is trying to set the assistant manager up or just make his life more difficult. He was already in trouble because he was the last one to use the other item scanner device. Which looks to be some sort of fancy smart tablet, attached to a ergonomic handle with a laser barcode scanner on the front. It has internet connectivity to connect to the server so I don't get why they didn't just install an app that makes it beep loudly, like install a speaker in that handle so you can find it. Or, you know, give us a lanyard so we can hang it off our wrist/around our neck instead of setting it on the shelf where we were working and risk forgetting where it went. The poor kid isn't any more at fault than anyone else here.