Employee Stealing

Johana 1

We share a loading dock with another company. Last night the Warehouse Manager of the other company saw one of our employees taking one of their TVs to their car. He describe the employee and the car. Our Warehouse Manager asked the employee that fit the description ( both physically and the car) about taking a tv. He denied taking the TV claiming that he had 4 at home. The Manager found the empty TV box by his office. The other company Manager came thsi mornign and ID our employee. I am about to talk with our employee. I believe that with teh ID of both him and his car is enough to fire the employee. We are in Arizona.
Any comments...
Thanks

System

OOooo. I'll take a shot at it. I'd get the written statements and descriptions from the two who wittnessed the event. I'd complete an internal loss report. Depending on how large the department is, is it possible to narrow it down to everyone who could have taken it? Of course he's going to deny it. You could suspend him without pay pending a more thorough investigation. You could fill out a police report and let them handle it. Those are just some ideas. I might be inclined to fire him if I was reasonably sure he stole it. I'd have to be pretty sure of it myself. Call your attorney and see what she thinks.

marc

Fire him? Why would you not direct the witness to immediately call the police? Let them do the investigation. By the way, your investigative actions might be considered obstruction of justice by the law enforcement people. Maybe I have watched to much TV, but this is their job and I imagine they would get torqued at anyone who muched things up.

Let them take a shot at it first. IF they decline, and I cannot imagine how they could, then go forward with your own process.