EE implicated in theft
HRinGA
412 Posts
We have an ee who left her engagement ring on her desk when she left work. Half-way home realized and came back. Of course, it was gone. Only 1 co-worker was left and the cleaning crew had just left as well. She posted a reward, everyone knew she had lost the ring. She gets a call from local police stating they found her ring in pawn shop. She id's. They show her a picture of co-worker (the one that was still here that night) and ask her does she know this person. She says yes and they tell her the guy that pawned the ring states he got it from the female in the picture. Now, this is all hearsay from the EE. I've contacted the detective to find out what they plan to do with the other EE who was identified. So far, they haven't really told me anything. I know they interviewed her but that's it. The manager is going nuts! Wants to pull her in and question her. I'm leary. I don't want to call anyone a thief unless I know they're a thief. Meantime, I have a very upset EE, mgr, etc. This can't go on forever. What would you do?? This is almost 2 weeks old.
Comments
I expect things are very tense around there waiting for some sort of resolution. I would contact the police department and ask for an update on the theft that occurred in your office and proceed from there. Unless they are about to make an arrest, they probably won't tell you anything. In our shop, the EEs are expected to notify us within 24 hours in the event of an arrest or a conviction.
PORK
PORK
This almost appears on the surface to be an open and shut case, and it's surprising the police haven't moved to make a decision. There must be more to the situation that you are privy to.
If there's a way you can separate the employees while the investigation is being conducted, (without one feeling there's a punishment) that might be a possibility.
This is a tough situation because I'm sure management is on the hot seat because other employees have already made their decision and are probably wondering why you are keeping a "thief" on staff.
Long story short. Detective comes in, interviews ee who lost the ring. She finally admits she made up the story about id'ing the ring. BUT, she felt in her heart that the suspected ee was the one who took it and she was just trying to call her bluff. She did the wrong thing for the right reason. My conspiracy theory (and the detective agrees) is that suspected ee threw the ring under the desk after she got a call from the police wanting to schedule an interview. After wasting 2 hrs of my time having to sit in on these discussions I am thoroughly aggravated...but we still can't prove anything. So we live and learn.
At least she got her ring back and it was pretty cool sitting in with the detective. I felt like I was on Law & Order. cha-chung!
>(shortly after posting this)from the supvsr.
>The ee in question asked him to get something
>from under the desk. He thinks, what?? Go get
>it yourself. She is adamant he look under the
>desk. Later, he does look, and guess what he
>finds??? You guessed it. One "missing" ring.
>Long story short. Detective comes in,
>interviews ee who lost the ring. She finally
>admits she made up the story about id'ing the
>ring. BUT, she felt in her heart that the
>suspected ee was the one who took it and she was
>just trying to call her bluff. She did the
>wrong thing for the right reason. My conspiracy
>theory (and the detective agrees) is that
>suspected ee threw the ring under the desk after
>she got a call from the police wanting to
>schedule an interview. After wasting 2 hrs of my
>time having to sit in on these discussions I am
>thoroughly aggravated...but we still can't prove
>anything. So we live and learn.
>At least she got her ring back and it was pretty
>cool sitting in with the detective. I felt like
>I was on Law & Order. cha-chung!
I guess I lost something in the translation....I thought the ring had already been recovered from a pawn shop and returned to the employee is was stolen from? Was it then thrown under the desk somehow?
The ee who lost the ring, made up the story about identifying it and being shown the picture of the suspected ee. She said she was trying to call her bluff and hopefully force her to return the ring...which she did, although it was under the desk, and we still can't prove she took it in the first place. Go figure.
That being said, I made a decision to terminate an employee in 2.7 seconds this morning. One employee got upset with a foreman, struck him breaking his nose. Admitted to it. The saga continues, I told the other foreman running the site to suspend him, I am getting statements, and he will be in my office at 3:00 pm today, and I will be terminating him.
My $0.02 worth,
DJ The Balloonman
Sounds like procrastination to me! Waiting six hours to terminate an employee who struck a supervisor? He hits somebody else and you have a lawsuit on your hands. At the minimum, he should have been suspended, mandated off the property if you felt a 6 hour investigation was warranted. If you're waiting till the end of his shift, that's highly questionable.
(edit) Oh, well, maybe he WAS suspended. I just can't figure the three o'clock thing.
(edit) One last edit. An ee who has proven himself to be violent, to the point of striking an employee, should not be allowed or required to return to the property for any reason. Termination over the phone would be my suggestion.
As I gather info I get more to the story. The foreman has been riding the employee for the last two weeks. Turns out there may have been some pushing and shoving before the punch was thrown. I now need to figure out if the pushing was initiated by the foreman..... who all say the event was instigated by the foreman.
My $0.02 worth.
DJ The Balloonman
I have no idea what he has been doing. Fact is I want to talk to the employee who was assaulted as none of the "witnesses" really saw the actual assualt. Turns out he hit him three times........
Really just a formality, but our main office is not near this jobsite, had the injured employee report in, just got done talking to him 1/2 hour ago. Other guy who will be terminated will be here in about 20 minutes.
My last two weeks have sucked, lets review OSHA Citations, :-) tomorrow is the hearing, sexual harassment complaint, 1 person quitting no notice, and an employee breaking a supervisors nose.......... Can't wait for friday to come.....
and go..........
My $0.02 worth,
DJ The Balloonman