theft

mrfrench

Ok so i work for a well known retailer in dublin. I work in all areas of the store from packing shelves to supervising cash deliveries.

About 4-5 months ago a purse with less than €100 was found and locked away in the lost and found box in the safe. Last week I have been struggling alot with money and when the opportunity came up fopr me to take it without anyone knowing i did.... Now i know it was a stupid thing to do and i wish i could change things but whats done is done.

A few days later the store manager noticed the money missing and started asking questions. Everyone who has access to the safe was being quizzed in the missing money and some of the staff were getting very worried and stressed over the whole thing. The regional manager was getting involved so i decided to confess and pay it back. I didnt want things to drag on and more people being dragged into it and be questioned or accused for something they didn't do.

I was suspended and told i would hear from the company this week about what disciplinary action i am to face. When i confessed i was well aware that i would more than likely be sacked but thats my own fault. The next day i paid back the money taken and delivered my letter of apology/resignation. It was the stupidest thing i have ever done.

Now i am sitting at home wondering whats going to happen. My biggest worry is that i will be brought to court over the whole thing and get a criminal record over the whole thing which some of you may think i deserve. With luck they might simply accept my resignation and give me my p45.

I am worried sick and don't know what to think or do. Has anyone ever been in or heard of this kind of thing before and what happened then?

Shelga

I wouldn't worry about going to court, that seems very unlikely as the amount was small and you confessed straight away. Losing your job over it must be very tough and your employers will most likely consider it punishment enough.

Taking the money was a stupid thing to do, but I can see how, if you were desperate, it seemed like a good idea. After all, it was in the lost and found, not actual company money from the till. I am not condoning such behaviour, but you seem sorry.

I really really doubt it will go to court- was your boss particularly vindictive? If you are that worried you could ask them; although if they didn't say they would be taking further action I'd say that's the end of it. Best of luck.

Hi,

First of all let me put your mind at rest a little. It is highly unlikely that they will take you to court over this incident. You have done the decent thing by owning up to what you did and paying back the money. They will be quite happy to draw the line under this incident I believe. The worst that they will do is not give you a good reference for the future.

Dont beat youself up too much about your mistake. Sure you did something stupid but owning up to your mistake and taking responsibility for your actions shows you have courage and morals.

Whatever happens you have to make sure that you learn from this experience. Best of luck.

Thucydides

A nasty situation of your own making if ever I saw one. My first instinct is to lecture you on your own stupidity. In fairness, however, it's obvious what any honest individual would say. So I won't.

From what your've posted (wrote a letter of apology, paid back the money), it seems you've undertaken all the obvious steps to rectify the situation. The ball is in their court now.

I see three scenarios. One, you'll be fired and the police contacted etc. Two, you'll be fired and never be able to get a refernce of them again. This could be the most damaging careerwise if you were an established professional. I assume this is only a regular job though? Also, if fired, your work colleuges / friends would no doubt find out. This could be quite embarassing. Thirdly, you won't be fired.

Though in fairness, from what you have written about you having access to the safe, I find it highly unlikely that they will keep you on - at least in your current role. You wouldn't have been given access to the safe unless A) it was strictly necessary for your job They trusted you. To them it will be obvious from your actions that you can no longer be trusted to handle cash. Think about the consequences this will have in their decision whether to continue to employ you? If trust / handling cash is essential then I find it unlikely they'll keep you on.

What I would finally say, however, is that if things go from bad to worse, you could offer to donate a sum to charity as a sign of your sincerity and genunine regret for your actions.

Ultimately, the million dollar question on their minds will be whether 'he simply addmitted it because he was found out' or whether 'he genuinely cocked up and is sorry'.

Also regardless of their actions, I think it's important that you ask yourself what would have happened if you had of got away with it? Would you have felt shame / owned up to it? Perhaps even done it again?

From my own experience, when money is not claimed, it either gets put in the staff kitty for a night out or given to charity. So whatever way you look at it, someone still looses. Theft is theft at the end of the day.

mrfrench

thanks that does help a bit and the idea of offering to donate to charity is very good thanks thats something i will be doing..

I was the assistant manager in the store and handling money was vital in my role so i understand that my job is as good as gone but sure i can't complain about that because it is the price i will have to pay for my utter stupidity and the struggle to find another job without a reference is another.

What i was mainly worried about is ending up being in court or in front of the police over it because then family and friends would find out and i am already utterly ashamed at myself without them being ashamed of me too.

Some soul searching is to be done never knew i could do something like it

Thanks for the advice

Queen-Mise

On a slight aside. My mother always said some people can handle money and some can't.

I am one of the ones that can't. For someone is relatively honest in life (:rolleyes:), I really cannot handle money. I don't trust myself - a part of me wouldn't be able to help myself - taking that money out of the safe. I have learnt the hard way - not to handle money in any situation. I never got into trouble or anything - but there was no point putting myself through the temptation/torture.

For the past few years - I avoid any situation in which I could potential handle money - raffle tickets, charity money, societies etc.

I am not saying this is anything like you - but what I am saying is I could very easily get myself in the same predicament.

ted1

i can't imagine that they could call the police, after al lthe money os techincally not theirs.

unattendedbag

The Gardai wont be interested in a case like this. You've made all the right moves like repaying the money. If you do end up in court (highly unlikely) then you would robably ge the probation act which would mean no criminal conviction, but more than likely recieve an adult caution if the gardai had to act. The retail outlet will probably just let you go for dishonesty, especially since you are in such a high position. So your biggest punishment is the gap in your CV, and trying to find a new job without letting this whole incident blemish you. Your best possible outcome is for them to accept your resignation so they wont have to fire you, therefore if you apply for a new job you can still include your previous experience as assistant manager.

jhegarty

I don't see how it could go to court as there was no one to steal from. The company didn't own the bag any more than you do.

Just hope they accept your resignation and that will be end of it.

LegacyUser

I am all for being honest. But it just goes to show you in a situation like that just lying and saying "it wasnt me" was probably the best way. But then again its best to be honest because they could of had cameras.

Either way tho think about it, that money was never going to be reclaimed. The top manager at the store was eventually going to put it in his back-pocket.

You werent really stealing from the store. you were stealing something that was going to be stolen in turn by someone else later.
I'm all for being honest to the ones you love or friends. But dont be honest to jobs. When you even think about it all companies will be quick to sack you when times are tough.

As for your situation. I think that would be down right cruel.
I remember when I was 16 I was working in Dunnes Stores and I stopped clocking out for my breaks, lol. I wanted more money. lol. Its not that i needed the money, it was i was just bored - i think looking back i didnt really like to job after being in it for months and just did it for a stupid reason - that i could get away with it. I was Immature. They brought me into the office and i just confessed. They said they werent going to notify the law, being so young it didnt dawn on me so I was thinking in my mind "you'd do that? thank god you didnt" - but i was 16. Honesty probably helped or the fact of my age. Some soft-spoken 16 year old and not a skanger.
Thats why I think it would be so cruel if they took it any further. You stole it, you confessed, you paid it back, you quit.


Just a word of warning for the future. Think before you do anything, lol. That was probably the birthday present that the manager wanted to give himself. lol.

Victor

mrfrench wrote: »

The next day i paid back the money taken and delivered my letter of apology/resignation.

Have you actually resigned? Are they just going to issue a pay slip and a P45 at the end of the month or can you salvage something out of this? Even if its going back to being a shelf stacker?

mobilecore

Look mate, dont worry about it. You did the right things by paying to back and confessing.
That money was going to get stolen anyways. Most likely by the manager at some point.

mrfrench

Victor wrote: »

Have you actually resigned? Are they just going to issue a pay slip and a P45 at the end of the month or can you salvage something out of this? Even if its going back to being a shelf stacker?

well in my apology letter i wrote that i offer my resignation with immediate effect or when the company sees fit. Honestly i hated the job too (but thats not excusing what i done) I had been hoping to look for a new job and this just forces me too now.

I am still waiting to hear back from them just to clarify what is going on. If i am being brought to the law over it, if my resignation was accepted or not or if they want me to stay on in a lower position. Honestly option 2 i would be most happy with as i couldn't work with the people again with the name i have now and its a shop with small number of staff.

Obviously they are in no big rush to get in touch with me and why should they be i suppose its just awful frustrating waiting around for any word and worrying.

You put my mind at ease a bit though guys thanks

LegacyUser

Long story short.

A few years ago worked in retail, small shop I was supervisor. Manager said take a few bits for you unifom just leave tags aside and let me know.

Stupidly got the idea that we could get a couple of bits and pay for them later, even once went to assistant manager and said I want to fix you up for that jacket I got the other day. Nothing said.

I used to get an odd top or whatever and leave the tags to one side in the till and then fix up.

Fast forward a few weeks, I went to a member of staff(who I was over) and said I want to fix you up for X,Y and Z she said okay I gave her my credit card and she said there you go that's done I went to put my credit card back in my bag when I noticed on the slip that the transaction had been declined. So basically, I could have walked away there and then store thinking i'd paid if I was a thief, but what did I do I went back to the girl and told her the transaction hadn't gone through it was declined and i'd get cash and fix it up tomorrow.

Next thing I know i'm being called in to the back store by the manager being accused of fleecing the place, saying the guards should be called, gross misconduct etc etc. She was sacking me and if I leave quietly(Im the most laid back person going) she would give me a reference. She the turns to the other staff member and asks if she'd anything she'd like to add.

Never been so humiliated in my whole life