Suspended - theft

TroubleAhead

I doubt anyone will be able to offer any practical advice at this stage, but here goes.

My wife, let’s call her Jane, has worked for her current employer for six years. She was his second employee and the business has expanded rapidly and taken on more and more staff. Things started going missing from her workplace around 18 months ago. Sometimes it was low value items but once an envelope with takings from the till vanished.

Then just over a week ago a large amount of cash, around £2,000, went missing from a filing cabinet. Jane had placed the cash in there, in an envelope, ready to pay one of their suppliers. When she went back to get the cash out several days later, it had gone.

The cabinet is kept locked only when the office is empty. Besides Jane there are at least four other people who had the opportunity to access it. Jane’s assistant has a key, as does the boss. There’s also a guy in the office with a chip on his shoulder, who is currently working his notice. And an ex-policeman who doesn’t work in the office, but borrowed Jane’s keys while the office was locked up one lunchtime.

On Thursday Jane was handed a letter telling her she was suspended while the theft was investigated, and not to contact any of her colleagues. She’s barely stopped crying since - she’s worked in accounts/finance for around 25 years and has a previously unblemished record, and is studying at night school working towards accounting qualifications. She doesn’t gamble, we have no debts and don’t have expensive tastes. Why the hell would she jeopardise her future career? Not only that, if she really did want to steal, with her knowledge she’d surely be able to find a more discreet way that didn’t put her directly in the frame. It just doesn’t make sense.

What really worries me is that, despite there being others with opportunity, it appears she’s the only one to be suspended. I drove past her workplace yesterday and the other staff’s cars were all there. This makes me wonder if the real thief has set her up.

robatwork

TroubleAhead wrote: »

The cabinet is kept locked only when the office is empty.

This seems odd - a cabinet with £2,000 or probably more inside is left unlocked at any time that someone isn't actually using it. Is that correct?

Your wife can't do much at this time other than gather (write down) evidence like the above, who has keys to access the office and cabinet outside of office hours, and who was in the office during the period the money went missing. Including visitors, delivery drivers etc. who could have pinched it.

We're seeing one side of this story - until your wife hears their side and their evidence it's hard to say much more.

FBaby

Her suspension might not be directly related to the money missing, but to her not following policy in relation to cash management/security etc...

I am very surprised that keeping such an amount of cash in an unlocked cabinet for not just hours but days wouldn't be an infringement of company policy, as well as sharing her keys when indeed there is such poor money handling management.

Of course she did it on the basis of trust, but she should know after 25 years experience that you can't assume everyone is honest. I am sorry for your wife but that's on the assumption that appropriate procedures were never reviewed not risk assessments carried out.

TroubleAhead

Yes, I thought it was odd too, or at least not very sensible. There is a safe but only the boss has a key. They don't keep it in that because if the supplier comes for his money when the boss isn't there, they won't be able to get to it. The filing cabinet is the only lockable place they have, but they need access to it all the time, and it doesn't always contain cash. With hindsight they should have had a second safe.

Edit: Actually my wife has just given me some more info on why they use this system.
The boss has a safe for large amounts of cash which only he has access to. Jane thinks this should be banked as soon as it comes in, but the boss won't allow that because he wants to avoid the bank charges. There is a second safe, which holds change for the tills. Lots of staff have access to this safe, so the cash for suppliers is not kept there either. The only other lockable place is the filing cabinet. As they don't know when the suppliers will come for their cash, it is kept here for them.

I was incorrect when I said it is left open during the day. It is actually kept locked most of the time, except for when they need regular access when doing things like bank recs. It is then locked again afterwards.

It's not very secure but it is company policy.

Bogalot

TroubleAhead wrote: »

Yes, I thought it was odd too, or at least not very sensible. There is a safe but only the boss has a key. They don't keep it in that because if the supplier comes for his money when the boss isn't there, they won't be able to get to it. The filing cabinet is the only lockable place they have, but they need access to it all the time, and it doesn't always contain cash. With hindsight they should have had a second safe.

Or kept the safe locked and limited who had access to keys.

I also suspect this will come down to poor cash handling. Given the amount involved and her position of responsibility, she should be prepared that dismissal is a possibility, although the employer may take action short of this given her otherwise positive length of service.

paddyrg

I'd document as above very clearly, and with a suggestion that a second, smaller combination safe might not be a bad idea on the circumstances for the future.

On the human level, it feels awful to be accused of theft from an employer, especially for such petty amounts that would be so immediately obvious, by a woman writing in finance. One of the most insulting parts is that they imagine she'd be so clumsy about stealing the money. I'm sure if she did want to rob the company, it'd be for a lot more than £2k and they'd not be able to detect it. Suggesting £2k in cash is a bit like underestimating her ingenuity and intelligence, which is worse! I was framed over £40 many years ago, it hurt me badly. In retrospect I know exactly who it was, and why (I'd worked out how her no-hope boyfriend would steal beers from a barren bit of bar), and the fact the boss was too stupid to see the connection, or discuss it even...

Why splurge the above? Because your wife may be going through some complicated feelings, and may need a good listening to. It can really knock your sense of self and world.

[Deleted User]

Suspension for someone innocent can almost be to get to the real culprit, they always get found out in the end, tell your good lady not to do anything rash x

robatwork

Not directly relevant, but although I can understand customers in retail paying in cash, who are these suppliers who want to be paid in large quantities of cash?

This doesn't sound legal or good business sense - where is the paper trail when it goes wrong?

Having just re-read your comment about avoiding bank charges - is this the Winchester Club and your wife's boss is Arfur Daly?

TELLIT01

There is nothing illegal about paying bills in cash so long as they are properly receipted. Cash payment doesn't necessarily mean 'under the table' payment.

Xbigman

As above, this may not be an accusation of theft but a suspension for allowing the theft. To protect yourself I'd assume it was an accusation of theft and act accordingly.

Find out if the police have been informed. This is definitely a police matter. Bring the police in yourself if the company haven't and if they haven't demand to know why. Get your bank statements and partners bank statements ready and receipts for any large purchases. Show how any large outgoings came from income or savings.
Is there a written finance procedure and was it followed?
Write down the existing system and highlight any weaknesses, like the fact there is a safe and you don't have access.

When the inevitable meeting comes you want to be ready.

Just realised it is your Wife. Sorry for writing the above to you.



Darren

paddyrg

TELLIT01 wrote: »

There is nothing illegal about paying bills in cash so long as they are properly receipted. Cash payment doesn't necessarily mean 'under the table' payment.

Indeed it's very helpful where the parties don't necessarily trust one another for whatever reason. That doesn't have to be nefarious, it could just be no credit relationship is established.