Stolen Company Property

Lori1 · October 2002

I have been given the responsiblity of writing a written warning to an employee who had company money stolen out of her desk. She does not have a lock on her office door or on her desk. I am not quite sure how to word this written warning, since the company does not have a policy or a precedence to this one. Can anyone help. Thanks

HS · October 2002

Was an investigation done? If so, was anyone found to have stolen the money?

If she is being written up for carelessness and not for the money being stolen, it could go something like this...

"You are receiving this warning because on (insert date and time here), your office door was left unlocked and as a result, company money was stolen from your desk. Failure to lock your office door, and safeguard company property, in the future could result in further disciplinary action up to and including termination."

This of course does all depend on your disciplinary process and what an investigation turned up. What has happend in the past if someone has done something similar? You need to be consistent in your disciplinary processes.

Good Luck

Lori1 · October 2002

Thank you for responding - I have posted a general thank you with some answers to everyone's questions.

Thanks again.
Lori

Don D · October 2002

However, if the company requires her to keep company money in her office or desk then the company should provide her with a locking desk or door.

Pork · October 2002

Lori1, Don't be writing me up with a written warning when the company has not provied me with a security protocal nor have you provided me with an appropriate physical security system in which I can secure company monitary assets and exercise my responsibilities.

Give me a verbal understanding of the necessity for me to secure company monitary assets with my physical body, to include carrying the money home in my pocket,if necessary, etc. etc. after which you go to WAL-MART and purchase a minimum security strong box which is fire proof. After which, you put a security plan in place, which includes specific instructions that outline my personal responsibilities for the security of company funds and exactly, how I am to do that task.

Bottom line: if all that you gave this person was his/her unlockable desk and the company looses funds as a result then, how can you issue me a warning without prior physical ability to secure the funds, and a mental understanding of my responsibilities toward the security of the funds?

The company is at fault for the loss of funds, until the above physical security assets and plan is in place. My thoughts and my thoughts only, but you can bet that this ole HR is standing in front of the accused employee to take the heat if the company and I have failed to provide the "where with all to get the job done"! Given that we had everything in place to include proper training then, you'll find me with the handcuffs and the police excort to put the person in jail or as a minimum out the door on the first occasion of lost company assets. Pork

Don D · October 2002

Pork: Your exercise period is over. Please return to your cellblock.

Pork · October 2002

Dandy Don, now I see how you got to 1001 post. Both of us "ole turkeys are really enjoying soring with these yount eagles". I'll go back to my cell, now and do some good work for my company!

jpepler · October 2002

I agree with the others. You can't discipline someone for something that was beyond their control.

If she had an office that locked, a desk that locked or a strong box and failed to secure the money then issue a warning. However, you can't issue a warning if you never provided her with the means to secure the property that she is responsible for.

Chalk this one up to experience and replace her desk with one that locks. (I wouldn't suggest a strong box because someone could very easily walk away with the entire box.)

franfields · October 2002

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 10-16-02 AT 04:15PM (CST)[/font][p]I agree with all that has been said unless she was supposed to do something with the money and she neglected to do that, instead putting it in her desk. (It's impossible to tell from the original post.) If that is the case, a warning may be apporpriate, and possibly even generous.

Meanwhile, I hope you are not forgetting that someone is out there that took the money.

pecohr · October 2002

I'm in aggreement with Franfields on this one. It sounds like this employee should have known that the money was to be placed somewhere more secure than her unlocked desk and failed to do so. BUT we'll need more information. If this is the case then a warning is appropriate.

Crout · October 2002

Lori, I'm sure you're very aware how wrong it is for the powers that be at your company to insist that this poor woman be disciplined. It's a classic example of you-know-what rolling downhill, and, as usual, it's the HR person who has to keep the bosses happy with their pound of flesh, while trying to maintain this person's morale. It's a dirty job sometimes, but I guess someone has to do it. You could try to sell her on the idea that the Written Warning is simply a vehicle to convey to her that it's a serious issue and that in the future she should be proactive and alert her chain-of-command that she is in possession of company funds with no way to secure them. Tell her that her job is not in jeopardy and that she should try to just keep the whole thing in perspective. Even though you probably feel for this person, you need to maintain the impression that you're behind the company 100%, and to that end you must NOT tell her that the decision to write her up was wrong. Hold her hand, give her kleenex, tell her better days are ahead, but don't jeopardize your own job in the process. And now I feel like I need a shower. It's a tough situation, Lori. Take care.

franfields · October 2002

Before we give advice we really ought to know what she was supposed to do with the money. Whether there was a procedure in place that she followed or didn't follow, or she was left to her own devices, makes a huge difference in how you handle what happened. Let's not jump to conclusions here in giving advice.

ritaanz · October 2002

Without knowing all the details,telling the woman her job is not in jeopardy is a bad idea.

Crout · October 2002

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 10-17-02 AT 11:18AM (CST)[/font][p]I agree. Relying solely on the post, and not being privy to all the details, I have made some assumptions. However, I am trusting that Lori will sift through all the advice, keep what she deems to be helpful, and discard the rest.

Don D · October 2002

Looks like we've asked for more information a number of times and it ain't forthcoming. Where's the poster?

Lori1 · October 2002

Thank you all for the wonderful tips on how to handle this situation. I had to agree with the ones who thought that a written warning was a little extreme, but the company felt that this particular situation warranted the written warning. Unfortunately, all your wonderful responses came too late. The warning was issued on 10/17. The warning was given for carelessness in handling company property. The company felt that this employee, who has been with the company and in the same department for 6 years, should have taken better care of the $1,600 that was given to her by a customer. The employee also mentioned to a co-worker to remind her that the money was in her drawer. The manager feels that someone overheard the employee tell her co-worker about the money being in the drawer and the whole thing was stolen between 4:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. the next day. Once again thanks for all the responses. PS: If you are wondering what she would normally do with cash. She gives all cash to her supervisor who locks it up in her safe. The supervisor was out that day.

Don D · October 2002

You will never know where the money went, so speculation is worth virtually nothing. Given what you say about past practice, the employee, it seems to me, DID have a fiduciary duty to the company to make absolutely certain SOMETHING workable was done with that much money. She was either careless or criminal or somewhere in between, but at best, careless with $1600. Announcing to somebody else to remind her about the money should be meaningful to those of you who know her and can affect the process of money security in the future. Most people, I would think, would treat $1600 cash dollars as a literal 'hot potato' and would want it secured and away from them right away.

Stolen Company Property

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