Moral question

LegacyUser

After being unemployed for 7 months, I just got a great job Im delighted with. I ve been asked a lot of questions on pre-employment form including that Ive if ever committed wrongdoing in a previous position. Now I have, I used to take stock and use it on the premises of a shop, I wasnt selling it on or anything. Ive been told by several people that Id be mad to disclose this, would anyone disclose this? (I was never caught btw)

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Jobissues wrote: »

After being unemployed for 7 months, I just got a great job Im delighted with. I ve been asked a lot of questions on pre-employment form including that Ive if ever committed wrongdoing in a previous position. Now I have, I used to take stock and use it on the premises of a shop, I wasnt selling it on or anything. Ive been told by several people that Id be mad to disclose this, would anyone disclose this? (I was never caught btw)

If you're never been caught, then no! Just don't do it in this one (obviously!)

If you use it on the premises of the shop, what's the problem?

blatantrereg

How did you use it? It's really not clear whether you are describing something trivial or something significant.

LegacyUser

Consumed it (chemist shop). Some medicines etc, I also may have put myself down for more overtime that due (not 100% sure was a long time ago).

December2012

What did you do with it?

I'm leaning toward saying nothing but not doing it again.

iusedtoknow

yeah - don't mention it and don't do it again.

It wasn't very moral, but unless you were caught and disciplined (ie lost your job because of it) then you probably shouldn't mention it

Santa Cruz

No need to disclose it as you will end up back unemployed. If feeling guilty about it work out the value of the items/claimed hours and make a suitable donation to a worthwhile charity.

Don't disclose it but most certainly don't do it again.

blatantrereg

The consensus appears to be to commit fraud.

It's a meaningless question really; more about covering themselves so they can fire people without fuss if anything emerges later I should think. They probably don't expect anyone to answer positively.

You appear to have quite a strong conscience. I suggest you follow your moral sense to avoid it plaguing you in future.

Was it part of a pharmacy chain, or was it a small shop - owned by the pharmacist or similar? Some small pharmacists are struggling since Mary Harney lifted restrictions on new pharmacies opening up. Bigger shops set up beside traditional stores and use their capital to undercut them and drive them out of business. So if you were working in a chain you won't have made much of a dent, but if you worked for a smaller company you might have caused significant damage to them.

If you worked for a big chain, then you were supporting grassroots business by stealing and being drugged up at work. This would more chaotic than evil in terms of Dungeon & Dragons alignment systems: While illegal, you were in fact helping the economy in general at the minor expense of the mega-rich. While it is not something to repeat, it is not worth kicking yourself too much over. However if you worked for a small shop than it was indisputably an evil act, and you must seek penance.

Giving money to charity would be one way of addressing this, but generally direct physical effort is preferable in terms of penance, such as voluntary work (animal shelters often welcome people helping out). Adapting a vegetarian diet might also work if it fits your principles. Or adopting a rescued animal... As you see, I like animals, but if other things have more emotional resonance for you, then use those. Lots of people are distressed by homelessness. If you are distressed by homelessness, you could see if you could join in some efforts to feed or otherwise care for them for example.

Stavro Mueller

Wrongdoing is relative anyway. You could argue that using the office photocopier or printer for your own personal use is wrong. Or using their time and internet connection to go on Facebook, check your email etc. At this stage what good would telling the truth do? You'd be doing yourself out of a job and for what? Because of something you did years ago that you now regret.

pharmaton

pretty sure they mean if you are on record for having committed wrong doing but I agree with blatentrereg, if it's a small shop helping yourself to stock really makes a large dent, perhaps you could think about this going forward and adjusting your attitude toward your employers/work environs. Best of luck in new job.