Theft at work?

delabane

Hello,

After some advise really.

My wife's company issued some Amazon gift cards, my wife mistakenly took two as they were stuck together, this was on the Sunday.

She found the extra one when she went to use her gift card on Monday and thought she would return the extra one when she was next in work (she only works weekends).

On Tuesday she got a call from a work co-worker asking if she had them, she said yes and she would hold on to it. She returned in on Friday and left a text to her line Manager asking if she got it, which she did.

That week her line manager resigned over something else, my wife went into work this weekend. She was then called into an office for a interview (she was given no notice of this). The meeting was held my a man she had never really seen before and someone from HR. They wrote everything down, and got her to sign.

They called her back into the room and did not think that unless they had phoned her that she would have returned the card. They then said they would need to suspend her on pay while investigated and there will be a hearing to see if it needs to go to disciplinary procedures.

My wife is going to join a Union and also call ACAS and call Citizens Advise Burro.

Any one have any advise they could give?

Many thanks

scooby088

A union wouldn't represent your wife in a matter that is already on going. The CAB maybe a good start as also is acas.

patman99

Even though the Line Manager has quit, your wife can still name her as a witness to the fact that she noticed the mistake & rectified it by returning the card the following Friday.
As she has noticed the mistake and taken the appropriate steps to correct it, I very much doubt they could make a theft charge stick as there was no intent to deprive the company of it's goods & they were returned at the earliest moment possible.

If you have household insurance, I would check to see if you have legal cover & if so, use that.

delabane

Hello,

I think the issue is that her employer is assuming that unless they called, she would not have returned said gift card.

ACAS were rather useless CAB were more help.

She has been there 6 years, never had a verbal warning or anything, if she was going to use card, she would have denied having it and would have activated it.

Thanks

Podge52

I do think it's a little unfair to assume she wouldn't return it without giving her the opportunity to do so.

Claree__x

In hindsight your wife should maybe have called to say she had it but she could easily have denied it when her manager called if she was actually hoping to keep it.

Try calling ACAS again, you might get a different (more helpful) advisor.

delabane

Most of he co-workers think its been over-blown. She only works weekends and she has had allot of other things on her mind which is why she forgot to call.

She has not actually been accused of anything yet (still waiting for a letter). The meeting was an "interview" to establish what went on, she was given no advance notice to prepare so was totally unexpected on her.

Takeaway_Addict

Podge52 wrote: »

I do think it's a little unfair to assume she wouldn't return it without giving her the opportunity to do so.

She had the opportunity Monday to either let someone know or return it, she did neither....

Prothet_of_Doom

delabane wrote: »

Hello,


She found the extra one when she went to use her gift card on Monday and thought she would return the extra one when she was next in work (she only works weekends).

That is a reasonable thing. I wouldn't have bothered to phone work to tell them I had been given 2, just waited until next time I was in, to hand it in.

She didn't use the card.

cte1111

Did your wife activate the card that was hers? If so, then hopefully this would also be a piece of evidence in her favour, e.g. if she was going to keep it, then she would have activated it when she did the other one.

littleboo

What is the value of the card ?