Employee Stealing Money. How would you fire?

Ok, I caught an employee stealing money. They dont think I am aware of it. They are an important employee. Firing them will create a temporary glitch. I have never had to fire anyone. What should I do?

You must fire that employee, after confronting that person things will never be the same.

 

 

Make sure you have hard proof before you address the employee. You can be sure he wiilll deny any wrong doing and if he feels he's been terminated unlawfully you could have a law suite on your hands.

If you have it on video or proof of it happening I'd confront them with a police officer present and press charges.

If you have proof that would hold up in court I'd also press charges with an officer present during firing.

If you dont mind my asking; a significant amount? (not that it matters from an employer and moral standpoint but as far a legal issues go/can go...)

 

I'd get undeniable proof, and send him on his way asap with no questions asked. Highest form of disrespect in my eyes especially considering you provide him with a job so that he can survive and he had the guts to bite the hand that feeds. No way I (if it were me) would put up with it for even a second. In my company he'd be done.

 

You steal from me, GTFO.

 

Take him into your office closed door, present the facts and proof. Let him know he fckd up and terminate his employment. If it put me in a glitch that I could handle, I'd put in the extra work/hours taking care of the job that is no longer being fulfilled myself until someone qualified and trustworthy is hired

Make sure you have hard proof before you address the employee. You can be sure he wiilll deny any wrong doing and if he feels he's been terminated unlawfully you could have a law suite on your hands.

Agree, get proof. Then blackmail them.

The employee is manipulating numbers in reports to increase their bonus.

Could that be considered fraud? If so, contact the Police and the prosecutors office. Sometimes you have to set a precedent. Good luck.

Offer him/her the chance to pay you back in avoidance of police involvement. Then fire them.

The employee is manipulating numbers in reports to increase their bonus.

 

Interesting..I wish i could do that

All kidding aside, white color crimes of this nature are often difficult to prove. Is he the only one with access to his computer and the abiity/authority to manipulate the data/reports?

Have you considered loaded spyware so you can track his or her keystrokes?

Offer him/her the chance to pay you back in avoidance of police involvement. Then fire them.

Wouldn't that open him up to some kind of libel since he didn't report a crime? Like if the employee steals somewhere else which could have been avoided had he been revealed as a convict during a background check?

 

 

confront him telling him that you know, and you are giving him the opportunity in advance to return the money and resign, or else you will press charges upon him for fraud and embezzlement(possibly?) and he is fired no matter what. and then you will pursue civil actions to take everything he has got and get your money back. go down upon him with the wrath of god as if you were Ari Gold from Entourage.

Wouldn't that open him up to some kind of libel since he didn't report a crime? Like if the employee steals somewhere else which could have been avoided had he been revealed as a convict during a background check?

 

 

I'm no lawyer, but I believe he can force a settlement in the part that would be a civil suit.

Internal theft is hard to work with.

 

The figures on the reports... is it very cut and dry? Obviously it's your private business and the whole scope is just that. But is it something where you can sit down with a stack of invoices and go through multiple line items which clearly depicts a pattern of premeditated theft?

 

Have you paid any of these bonus funds yet? Or is it an annual type of thing?

 

If some have already been paid, how long would it take you to review past payments and determine a total $$$ damages?

 

Honestly, these sorts of things will be hard to prosecute... just getting the DA to do an investigation will be rough. It isn't like you caught them hawking stolen property on ebay.

 

Check with your attorney, you might be able to withhold pay pending your auditing of their books and recoup some losses.

 

The sad part is you can fire them, but even beyond that you can't say much even if contacted by another employer seeking a reference. Maybe just give them the option to quit, sign off any rights at compensation, bonus, etc, at least that way they can't collect unemployment.

 

Sometimes it's easier to just take these situations on the chin and move on.

Hope he isn't surfing this site....

You have to let him/her go. Trust is everything, which has obviously been breached here.

Ideally a "soft" let go will be good as you release him/her.....

Calling the cops will be a double blow to the concerned party so its up to you on that part.

Don't accuse him of anything. Just tell him things are slowing down, and you have to let him go. It's not worth the arguments that will ensue if you accuse him of stealing.

 

Maybe in a few months, he'll figure out what happened, but by then he'll be stealing from someone else..

Take the employee into your office and have some one else you trust with you as a witness and fire the employee for cause.... in this case for incompetently preparing reports. The theft of money will be impossible to prove, so dont even bring it up. At the very least you should be able to avoid being liable for unemployment insurance.

 

Here is a good rule of thumb to live by...... out of 100 people, at least 5 will try to rip you off somehow. If you own a biz, its up to you to make it HARD for your employees to steal. If not, sooner or later a bad apple will take advantage of you.

You mention firing them would create a temp. Glitch (because they are important to the business).

 

I'd bring in someone else right away to "relieve" responsibilities, while building a stronger case against the employee in question.

 

Good luck.

Definitely have someone sit in with you before you say a word so that you have a witness if need be. Good luck!

Show them the door with private security or police present to escort them out. There are plenty of good people out there who need jobs right now. Give one of them the opportunity to be an honest, hard-working employee.

If the glitch is what you really want to avoid.

1) get your documented proof

2) suspend his bonus with some bs ( non-proveable excuse )

3) hire a replacement. Have bad employie train.

4) can his ass

5) if he complains about unlawfull termination. Present proof & ask if he wants to play.

I would terminate as fast as possible. He has violated your trust, other employees may be aware of what is going on, he needs to made an example.

However if the employee is critical I would back fill first.

Isolate the employee's ability to alter the commission report.

Change your system so this cannot happen again, I would look at all areas to close loop holes and eliminate future issues.

Depending on whether the proof is cut and dry, I would terminate with cause with a witness.

 

 

In a business I was brought into restructure several years ago, I had a manager that was embezzling. We threatened legal action, it was cut and dry and made him pay back the amount which was around $30,000.

Basic trust issue is your biggest problem. If you can't trust him to be honest, then what point is there in having him around?

 

Start auditing your books, keep records of discrepancies and although its tough, you have to fire him.

 

It's run like a mom and pop shop. I know a guy that had to fire someone because their only sales guy was back dooring stuff off the books (parts were made to order by staff in the production line). He finally got figured out. the boss confronted called him into the office where his mom was already on speaker phone. His mom was informed that $x amount had to be paid back within a certain time frame or they'd be sued.

 

The employee is asian, so not only did he lose face in front of his parents, he went to jail and has to repay the losses or suffer more.