Dealing with theft

[JustJo]

Hi, I'm not sure if this is allowed in this forum, so please remove if not allowed.

I have caught our 19 year old staff member stealing money from my business. It is between £200 and £300. She has been dismissed and asked to pay the money back. We are friendly with one of her family members and she has asked us not to tell this person. I was fine with not telling them until....... This morning on Facebook I see she has booked a holiday for next year.

I am incredibly hurt by this and now want to tell the family member, in the hope she has a good word with her, and helps her budget to pay us back.

My business partner just wants me to leave well alone. I feel my ex-staff member needs some negative consequences because of the theft, which at the moment, all she has is she has lost her 1 day a week job. She will now just claim more benefits.

What would you do?

 

[Curious.1]

Report it to the police. Sadly you may lose a friendship but hopefully not as it is not your fault. This happened to a friend and unfortunately the employer was just let go without any consequences, and went on to commit a terrible crime about a year later. It is worth getting the small crimes on record, for sure. The occasional £20 from petty cash really adds up over time and it is unfair to let her rip off the next employee who won't know her past.

 

[Curious.1]

I would also say that she is unlikely to ever pay you back, even if police/courts get involved. Or just a tiny percentage of what she actually stole.

 

[Curious.1]

Also, think of the implications of giving personal information to her family member - legally, until it has been proven as a crime, she is innocent and her employer status includes personal information like why she left the job. CAB advice for employer shows how difficult it is even for you to give a less than good reference, sadly: Getting a job reference

 

[Curious.1]

Hugely sympathetic to your situation Justjo. It doesn't feel good to not get any justice I'm sure. Even the gov't advice is on the side of the former employee if you give a bad reference for something unproven. Crazy!! References: workers' rights

 

[MelmothTheLost]

I would also say that she is unlikely to ever pay you back, even if police/courts get involved. Or just a tiny percentage of what she actually stole.

That's not necessarily so, unless things have changed in the past 10 years. My partner's vehicle was broken into and some items stolen. Against all the odds, the two men responsible were identified, prosecuted and convicted. They eventually paid everything back by means of a charge on their income (benefits rather than wages) ordered by the court.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Hi, I'm not sure if this is allowed in this forum, so please remove if not allowed.

I have caught our 19 year old staff member stealing money from my business. It is between £200 and £300. She has been dismissed and asked to pay the money back. We are friendly with one of her family members and she has asked us not to tell this person. I was fine with not telling them until....... This morning on Facebook I see she has booked a holiday for next year.

I am incredibly hurt by this and now want to tell the family member, in the hope she has a good word with her, and helps her budget to pay us back.

My business partner just wants me to leave well alone. I feel my ex-staff member needs some negative consequences because of the theft, which at the moment, all she has is she has lost her 1 day a week job. She will now just claim more benefits.

What would you do?

It’s not about the money, is it? Hurt and pain will follow you everytime you think of this employee. I feel if you don’t act on your instinct now, an uneasiness will accompany you and influence future hirings. Perhaps the unintended consequence of her actions is exactly what is needed for all involved.

 

[MelmothTheLost]

What would you do?

I'd report the theft to the police. It's not a huge sum but there's a principle involved. If she gets away with it she's much more likely to do it again.

There's also the issue of references. You can always refuse to give a reference, that being the safest thing to do, but so long as you provide an honest reference she has no comeback. You do not have to give one at all, however in the circumstances I imagine she is not going to ask you for one.

 

[JustJo]

Oh wow, thank you for all of your replies! It means a lot that you have taken your time to give your opinion. Big hugs to you all!

I doubt she will ever ask for a reference because a) she admitted to the stealing. b)she is too lazy to look for another job and seems quite happy on benefits. She wouldn't last a day in a 'normal' job, we were far too soft with her. We are just a small business, 2 main staff members, then we had her.

My police friend says we can tell the police but not press charges. I don't know how it all works, I've never been in this situation before.

I've drafted a message that I really want to send to the family member but my business partner wants me to try and see this person face to face if they walk past my shop. I also don't know whether to inform the ex staff member that I am going to tell her family member or not? If she hadn't put the thing on FB about the holiday I probably wouldn't have bothered. I do think we will be much more likely to get the money off family member (who lends her money all the time as it is).

Argh I hate stuff like this!

 

[Curious.1]

That's not necessarily so, unless things have changed in the past 10 years. My partner's vehicle was broken into and some items stolen. Against all the odds, the two men responsible were identified, prosecuted and convicted. They eventually paid everything back by means of a charge on their income (benefits rather than wages) ordered by the court.

Case reports from magistrate's courts around the country make for interesting reading. For example, someone didn't buy a train ticket, was made to pay £3 compensation, plus £220 fine and victim charge of £30. Whereas someone who stole food from a supermarket didn't pay any compensation but was to pay victim charge (and this seems to be normal, perhaps magistrate understands that stealing food = unlikely to be able to afford compensation). But looking at this article, £600m in victim charges and compensation haven't been paid as of 2013. And I'm seeing very few cases where compensation comes into it, except for every single train fare dodger. Always a victim charge, rarely compensation.
Victim surcharge: unintended consequences

 

[Curious.1]

JustJo I think you'll feel better if you block her on Facebook so you don't have to be reminded of what she did to you whenever something linking her to your friend comes up.

 

[Curious.1]

If you really want to bring it up with your friend, would it be better to wait until she next sees you then let her ask you why the girl was fired? Then really awkwardly say that you are investigating £200-£300 that has gone missing and you can't speak more of it - so she gets the message but legally you haven't named the girl as guilty as it hasn't gone to police or court? I would just be really careful about it as the last thing you want is for her to see a lawyer advert during Jeremy Kyle and think it is worth a try - but that is also why I'd definitely tell police as you are then covered and its not rumours swirling around town. I am 100% on your side, she sounds like a nightmare.

 

[JustJo]

Wow, something totally unexpected has happened!

Ex-employee just came in and gave us £50! She said she'll keep coming in with more.

To say I am shocked is an understatement. Fingers crossed more keeps coming.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Karma. Be a receiver of good.