There's a lot of talk about being arrested here, and YMMV, IANAL, I'm in the US, etc. but I've worked retail in the past for roughly 8 years and I've never seen anyone get arrested or seen a company press charges for less than 100 dollars in theft, provided the person admitted to it, apologized, and usually allowed it to be taken from their last check.
I'm in the UK and I've seen multiple people get arrested for stealing less from their (retail) jobs. If it is going to happen it's outside of the OP's hands now but it is definitely something to consider.
Thanks for the clarification. I'm sure it's just as big of a deal here, I've just seen about 10 different cases where someone took money, was fired, but never arrested.
There's a lot of talk about being arrested here, and YMMV, IANAL, I'm in the US, etc. but I've worked retail in the past for roughly 8 years and I've never seen anyone get arrested or seen a company press charges for less than 100 dollars in theft, provided the person admitted to it, apologized, and usually allowed it to be taken from their last check.
I'm in the UK and I've seen multiple people get arrested for stealing less from their (retail) jobs. If it is going to happen it's outside of the OP's hands now but it is definitely something to consider.
Thanks for the clarification. I'm sure it's just as big of a deal here, I've just seen about 10 different cases where someone took money, was fired, but never arrested.
Still, that's interesting.
the only time i've seen the police involved when i was in retail(although, it could have happened and i didn't know about it) was when a dumbass employee stole a SHOTGUN...
Whether the police get involved in the first place is dependent upon the employer and whether or not he files a complaint. What happens beyond that is technically a matter of law, but there is a lot of leeway allowed for the individual discretion of the specific police officers or prosecutors involved. Especially because of the petty nature of the crime, the OP ought to have a lot of leeway in terms of influencing everyone's discretion as long as she's contrite and tries in good faith to do everything possible to rectify the situation.
There's a lot of talk about being arrested here, and YMMV, IANAL, I'm in the US, etc. but I've worked retail in the past for roughly 8 years and I've never seen anyone get arrested or seen a company press charges for less than 100 dollars in theft, provided the person admitted to it, apologized, and usually allowed it to be taken from their last check.
I'm in the UK and I've seen multiple people get arrested for stealing less from their (retail) jobs. If it is going to happen it's outside of the OP's hands now but it is definitely something to consider.
Thanks for the clarification. I'm sure it's just as big of a deal here, I've just seen about 10 different cases where someone took money, was fired, but never arrested.
Still, that's interesting.
the only time i've seen the police involved when i was in retail(although, it could have happened and i didn't know about it) was when a dumbass employee stole a SHOTGUN...
Shop smart... shop S-Mart.
Sentry on
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wrote:
When I was a little kid, I always pretended I was the hero,' Skip said.
'Fuck yeah, me too. What little kid ever pretended to be part of the lynch-mob?'
There's a lot of talk about being arrested here, and YMMV, IANAL, I'm in the US, etc. but I've worked retail in the past for roughly 8 years and I've never seen anyone get arrested or seen a company press charges for less than 100 dollars in theft, provided the person admitted to it, apologized, and usually allowed it to be taken from their last check.
I'm in the UK and I've seen multiple people get arrested for stealing less from their (retail) jobs. If it is going to happen it's outside of the OP's hands now but it is definitely something to consider.
Thanks for the clarification. I'm sure it's just as big of a deal here, I've just seen about 10 different cases where someone took money, was fired, but never arrested.
Still, that's interesting.
the only time i've seen the police involved when i was in retail(although, it could have happened and i didn't know about it) was when a dumbass employee stole a SHOTGUN...
I'm in the US and I've seen employees hauled away in cuffs for ripping off a dvd before.
You have nothing to lose by going back in and seeing what they have to say. If they're inclined to press charges or take other serious action against you, staying home isn't gonna change that. And who knows, a small chance that they want to keep you on is still a chance.
Paying back whatever you took will be in the cards, I'm sure.
That being said, you shouldn't sign anything or admit anything on any kind of official record. They may try to pressure you into doing this for the sake of either making the firing easier, or pressing charges later.
Eat it You Nasty Pig. on
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Pluto was a planet and I'll never forget
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ShadowfireVermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered Userregular
There's a lot of talk about being arrested here, and YMMV, IANAL, I'm in the US, etc. but I've worked retail in the past for roughly 8 years and I've never seen anyone get arrested or seen a company press charges for less than 100 dollars in theft, provided the person admitted to it, apologized, and usually allowed it to be taken from their last check.
I'm in the UK and I've seen multiple people get arrested for stealing less from their (retail) jobs. If it is going to happen it's outside of the OP's hands now but it is definitely something to consider.
Thanks for the clarification. I'm sure it's just as big of a deal here, I've just seen about 10 different cases where someone took money, was fired, but never arrested.
Still, that's interesting.
the only time i've seen the police involved when i was in retail(although, it could have happened and i didn't know about it) was when a dumbass employee stole a SHOTGUN...
I'm in the US and I've seen employees hauled away in cuffs for ripping off a dvd before.
Yea, I've had police take a couple employees away for somewhere around $25 in stolen product. Another company store in the neighborhood didn't arrest a kid after he stole $1000 from their safe. Management is a fickle bunch...
There's a lot of talk about being arrested here, and YMMV, IANAL, I'm in the US, etc. but I've worked retail in the past for roughly 8 years and I've never seen anyone get arrested or seen a company press charges for less than 100 dollars in theft, provided the person admitted to it, apologized, and usually allowed it to be taken from their last check.
I'm in the UK and I've seen multiple people get arrested for stealing less from their (retail) jobs. If it is going to happen it's outside of the OP's hands now but it is definitely something to consider.
Thanks for the clarification. I'm sure it's just as big of a deal here, I've just seen about 10 different cases where someone took money, was fired, but never arrested.
Still, that's interesting.
the only time i've seen the police involved when i was in retail(although, it could have happened and i didn't know about it) was when a dumbass employee stole a SHOTGUN...
I'm in the US and I've seen employees hauled away in cuffs for ripping off a dvd before.
Yea, I've had police take a couple employees away for somewhere around $25 in stolen product. Another company store in the neighborhood didn't arrest a kid after he stole $1000 from their safe. Management is a fickle bunch...
The rule back when I was security at Target was anything under $25 was worth our time involving the police and beyond that most employee thefts that werent stealing large ticket items were just dealt with termination. Ultimately in these situations security has no say in what is done with you, the decision lies with HR who are much nicer about these situations then we were.
Right ok, had some time to think about it and i've been 2 see some friends, got their advice. It's along the same line as everyone on here mainly, that I need to not make excuses at the disciplinary, accept whatever happens and just basically tell them know how sorry i am. So thats what I'm going to try to do in as little words as poss ( i have a bad case blabbering when i'm nervous) and just reeeeeally hope they decided not to involve the police....
I am shitting it so much about that part.
Any ideas what would happen to me? fine? court? jail? Or is there no point speculating?
Somebody also said to not sign anything official admitting to what i've done, how would i refuse? As you may of been able to tell from my original post i find it hard to say no and then panic and make bad choices.
You can usually have someone in there with you. Representation of some kind. If you can, make sure you do. It's a lot harder to bully you into signing anything with witnesses (even if its your dad).
Sent home with pay doesn't mean a lot btw, thats fairly normal. That doesn't mean it's looking better, sorry.
You can expect to go in, get told what you did, why it was against policy, and you'll be given a chance to say sorry, explain why you did it, and probably sign a termination letter and get docked what you stole from your last week's check.
That's about the usual course of things. Though, that last part can be "docked and asked to come in work next week under probation."
bowen on
not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
I read the whole first page, but nothing else, so apologies if I just repeat what's already been said:
If I was the boss, I would normally fire someone IMMEDIATELY if I could prove that they had stolen from the cash register.
HOWEVER, this is a very unique situation, in which you actually stole FOR work. I mean, I wouldn't word it like that, but it's not like you were stealing to pay for your lunch or something. From a boss perspective, I think this is very easily rectified. Dock your pay the 40 dollars, tell you to TELL me the next time you need money for something that I've told you to do, and seriously, if you ever do this again, I'll have you arrested.
Seems to me you'd go back to being the star employee in no time.
But this all assumes that you are telling me the right things, saying the right words...and on this forum, you haven't been. You've been defending yourself with your low wage and how everybody does it...if you came into the disciplinary meeting saying those things, the meeting would be over quickly. So would your job.
Be contrite. Apologize a million times. Explain how embarassed you felt that you couldn't afford the train ticket. Swear to your god and all the other gods who might be present that you will never do it again, bla bla bla. In my opinion, you should be fine.
Any ideas what would happen to me? fine? court? jail? Or is there no point speculating?
There probably isn't any point in speculating too extensively at this point because whether or not the police will be involved is entirely dependent upon the whims of your employer. It could go either way, although the more proactive you are about addressing the matter, the more chance you have of influencing your employer into believing that the matter can be untangled sufficiently without the aid of a legal process. Even if the police do get involved, there is so much leeway given for the individual discretion on the part of everyone involved in the process that all anyone outside the process can do is tell you what the worst-case scenario is. Anything beyond that would just be guessing.
If you find you can't stop yourself from sweating it, try to relax. People are put in charge of administering the law so that cold, impersonal legal code can benefit from the softer qualities of humanity like sympathy and discretion. You will have ample opportunity to find legal representation who can guide you through the process of demonstrating to those people that you're not a career criminal or a budding serial killer, you're just a young woman who made a mistake and is sincerely contrite for it.
Youre getting way worked up over this, and with good reason.
However, not showing up would only reflect even more poorly on your decision. Be sorry for what you did, and own up to the consequences. If youre fired, youre fired, if not, bust your ass to prove your loyalty and worth again.
But dont expect to have a senior position at what youre doing for a very long time. If you get your job back youre probably going to be back to square one.
I read the whole first page, but nothing else, so apologies if I just repeat what's already been said:
If I was the boss, I would normally fire someone IMMEDIATELY if I could prove that they had stolen from the cash register.
HOWEVER, this is a very unique situation, in which you actually stole FOR work. I mean, I wouldn't word it like that, but it's not like you were stealing to pay for your lunch or something. From a boss perspective, I think this is very easily rectified. Dock your pay the 40 dollars, tell you to TELL me the next time you need money for something that I've told you to do, and seriously, if you ever do this again, I'll have you arrested.
Seems to me you'd go back to being the star employee in no time.
But this all assumes that you are telling me the right things, saying the right words...and on this forum, you haven't been. You've been defending yourself with your low wage and how everybody does it...if you came into the disciplinary meeting saying those things, the meeting would be over quickly. So would your job.
Be contrite. Apologize a million times. Explain how embarassed you felt that you couldn't afford the train ticket. Swear to your god and all the other gods who might be present that you will never do it again, bla bla bla. In my opinion, you should be fine.
Having worked retail/service management in a variety of venues I can tell you that unless the manager is Ghandi, this isn't going to happen.
Most every disciplinary issue has some leeway. There are a select few that don't. Theft and violence are the two main ones that are universally no tolerance - there isn't a set of circumstances that can repair the broken trust there.
By all means go to the meeting, but don't get your hopes up. And definitely be looking for work.
The way I see this, you're getting canned and maybe arrested. I say that because; you stole from your employer... that is enough to get you sacked. You also mentioned that other people have taken money from the tills and, chances are, the management know people are stealing too. They are gonna wanna make an example out of you. I would if I was the manager of a store that was constantly being ripped off by my employees.
Any ideas what would happen to me? fine? court? jail? Or is there no point speculating?
I'll preface this with IANAL. The UK and Australian legal systems are similar enough that I feel its reasonable to say there's no chance you're going to jail at all. You'd need to have stolen substantially more than you have, and/or over an extended period of time, for that to happen.
I'd say its most likely you'd go to court and get a suspended sentence. You might get a fine, possibly, I'm not sure on that. But that all depends on if your store wants to involve the authorities. If they aren't going to, then you'll just lose your job, obviously.
I'll reinforce the advice in the thread regarding the interview. Be concise, answer their questions directly and in as few words as reasonably possible. Don't embellish, stick to the facts only. Do not under any circumstances get defensive. Hear what they say, and accept their decision with as much grace as you can muster.
OK, I'm an HR trustee for a charity based in Manchester, have worked in HR for many years, so here's my 2 pennorth worth.
1. If you are in a union, get hold of your union rep, NOW. This support is what we pay our union fees for. Are you in USDAW?
2. If you're not in a union, join one. NOW.
3. Ask for a copy of your employers disciplinary procedure. Read it thoroughly. You should be entitled to take someone with you to the hearing, as support, Union rep if possible, friend who will stay calm and speak for you if needed if you're not in the union.
4. It is normal to suspend someone on full pay pending a disciplinary hearing for something this serious.
5. Your disciplinary policy/procedure will let you know if this is classed as misconduct, or gross misconduct. If it is misconduct, you will probably receive a written warning/final written warning. The difference between the 2 is that if you infringe the disciplinary policy again whilst the final written warning stands, you will be summarily dismissed (fired on the spot). Gross misconduct means you are likely to be fired.
6. Your job now is to prepare for the hearing - write everything down, don't rely on memory, you will forget something important. You are going to plead mitigating circumstances. Explain fully why you did what you did, how wrong it was, how much you regret a momentary lapse of judgement, how you don't understand how you thought it was a solution to the situation you found yourself in, how this is so aberant a behaviour for you, that you have an exemplary record up until this one point, how you felt unable to ask for help financially, go on and on about it, its the only chance you have.
7. If you haven't paid the money back, DO SO NOW! Do not wait until the hearing, contact your manager and ask if you can pay it back now.
I have had to discipline someone for stealing a Gortex coat from a course participant on a training course, at a venue I used. He was caught on video. It was a momentary lapse of judgement, in a very lovely young man. The owner of the coat didn't want to press charges, he just wanted his coat back. I had to show the young man the video of him stealing the coat, then suspended him on full pay for a week, pending the disciplinary hearing. My organisation's disciplinary policy was that theft was gross misconduct. I knew I would have to sack him at the disciplinary, he would have no chance of appeal, as we had video evidence of him stealing, so before the hearing, I told him to resign - quitting a job is much better on your employment record than being sacked for gross misconduct. It was one of the saddest things I've had to do as a manager, as he was a good worker, had just made a stupid decision.
I don't think its likely your employer has informed the police, as you would have been arrested by now. If you get on well with your manager, you could maybe approach them to either be a character witness, or to sound out how they think the hearing will go. Plan to resign before you are formally dismissed. You can tell a future employer that you left due to "differences", as you left of your own will, rather than were sacked for theft.
If I can be of any more help, pm me.
LewieP's Mummy on
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Despite all the advice here, keep looking for another job. You don't know what the result of the hearing will be and if it goes against you it'll be much better to have something in the works.
Willeth on
@vgreminders - Don't miss out on timed events in gaming! @gamefacts - Totally and utterly true gaming facts on the regular!
This is the "Help and Advice forum" not "Judge people and be complete douche bags so that you can get your superiority complex boner on" forum.
Coming in to the thread just to tell someone that "If I were your boss I'd fire you and press charges!" does not make you a better person, or help the poster.
This is just something troubling I've been seeing lately, what happened to the forum golden rule, "Don't be a dick"?
What makes you think that doesn't apply here? By coming in here to criticize, belittle, and insult the thread posters, all you do is a create a hostile environment in an internet community that should be loving and supportive of one another, no matter the reason they are in the situation they are in. Forumers shouldn't have to make a post asking for help, and then defend their character.
Everyone makes mistakes, we aren't here to place blame. We are here to solve problems.
Thanks,
Bendery L. Beckham
On topic: I've had to deal with accusations of theft, and even conduct my own investigations on other employees. Your best bet is to show up, admit it was stupid, pay it back, and then ask if it is in your best interest to resign. If they are going to draw it out and consult legal advisers to fire you anyway, resigning can be a classier and more beneficial way of leaving a company.
I would think stealing money would be considered a criminal offense. I would fire you, and file charges.
It's only criminal if someone presses charges. They didn't yet. Technically it's a misdemeanor anyways, she's not getting any jail time for taking 40 quid. Unless the legal system works a bit different in UK I don't foresee anything but "getting fired" as the worst possibility here, maybe small claims court or asked to pay a fine if charges were filed.
bowen on
not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
This is the "Help and Advice forum" not "Judge people and be complete douche bags so that you can get your superiority complex boner on" forum.
...
You mean this isn't the Superiority Complex Boner forum? Looking at the few post on a few recent thread I swore it is.
to OP: Don't worry too much about getting charged and a criminal record. I doubt anyone would screw someone over for life over 40 bucks. On the other hand you should show up with the worst sorry face in your life to get out of this unscarred.
Hello all who posted, I just wanted to say thanks to everyone for all your advice, it gave me a much wider perspective on things, so cheers for even the most condescending post. I'm gonna lock the post just to help with clean up and stuff, and if anybody STLL cares after all this.....
I found out that it was being classed as gross misconduct so decided to take LewieP's Mummys advice and resign first. Thank you so much for taking the time to do that btw, it made things a lot clearer (and a bit less scary). And thanks to everyone who posted their own experiences, it's re-assuring in a way to know that everyone makes mistakes and it doesn't define who you are.
Even people who just made snarky, critical comments, it was something i probably needed to hear.
Although Bendery L. Beckham, right on the money :P
Posts
Thanks for the clarification. I'm sure it's just as big of a deal here, I've just seen about 10 different cases where someone took money, was fired, but never arrested.
Still, that's interesting.
the only time i've seen the police involved when i was in retail(although, it could have happened and i didn't know about it) was when a dumbass employee stole a SHOTGUN...
Shop smart... shop S-Mart.
I'm in the US and I've seen employees hauled away in cuffs for ripping off a dvd before.
Paying back whatever you took will be in the cards, I'm sure.
That being said, you shouldn't sign anything or admit anything on any kind of official record. They may try to pressure you into doing this for the sake of either making the firing easier, or pressing charges later.
Pluto was a planet and I'll never forget
Yea, I've had police take a couple employees away for somewhere around $25 in stolen product. Another company store in the neighborhood didn't arrest a kid after he stole $1000 from their safe. Management is a fickle bunch...
I am shitting it so much about that part.
Any ideas what would happen to me? fine? court? jail? Or is there no point speculating?
Somebody also said to not sign anything official admitting to what i've done, how would i refuse? As you may of been able to tell from my original post i find it hard to say no and then panic and make bad choices.
Sent home with pay doesn't mean a lot btw, thats fairly normal. That doesn't mean it's looking better, sorry.
Good luck and all that.
Youtube Channel!
That's about the usual course of things. Though, that last part can be "docked and asked to come in work next week under probation."
If I was the boss, I would normally fire someone IMMEDIATELY if I could prove that they had stolen from the cash register.
HOWEVER, this is a very unique situation, in which you actually stole FOR work. I mean, I wouldn't word it like that, but it's not like you were stealing to pay for your lunch or something. From a boss perspective, I think this is very easily rectified. Dock your pay the 40 dollars, tell you to TELL me the next time you need money for something that I've told you to do, and seriously, if you ever do this again, I'll have you arrested.
Seems to me you'd go back to being the star employee in no time.
But this all assumes that you are telling me the right things, saying the right words...and on this forum, you haven't been. You've been defending yourself with your low wage and how everybody does it...if you came into the disciplinary meeting saying those things, the meeting would be over quickly. So would your job.
Be contrite. Apologize a million times. Explain how embarassed you felt that you couldn't afford the train ticket. Swear to your god and all the other gods who might be present that you will never do it again, bla bla bla. In my opinion, you should be fine.
There probably isn't any point in speculating too extensively at this point because whether or not the police will be involved is entirely dependent upon the whims of your employer. It could go either way, although the more proactive you are about addressing the matter, the more chance you have of influencing your employer into believing that the matter can be untangled sufficiently without the aid of a legal process. Even if the police do get involved, there is so much leeway given for the individual discretion on the part of everyone involved in the process that all anyone outside the process can do is tell you what the worst-case scenario is. Anything beyond that would just be guessing.
If you find you can't stop yourself from sweating it, try to relax. People are put in charge of administering the law so that cold, impersonal legal code can benefit from the softer qualities of humanity like sympathy and discretion. You will have ample opportunity to find legal representation who can guide you through the process of demonstrating to those people that you're not a career criminal or a budding serial killer, you're just a young woman who made a mistake and is sincerely contrite for it.
However, not showing up would only reflect even more poorly on your decision. Be sorry for what you did, and own up to the consequences. If youre fired, youre fired, if not, bust your ass to prove your loyalty and worth again.
But dont expect to have a senior position at what youre doing for a very long time. If you get your job back youre probably going to be back to square one.
XBLGT:Banzeye SC2: Apollo.394
Having worked retail/service management in a variety of venues I can tell you that unless the manager is Ghandi, this isn't going to happen.
Most every disciplinary issue has some leeway. There are a select few that don't. Theft and violence are the two main ones that are universally no tolerance - there isn't a set of circumstances that can repair the broken trust there.
By all means go to the meeting, but don't get your hopes up. And definitely be looking for work.
I'll preface this with IANAL. The UK and Australian legal systems are similar enough that I feel its reasonable to say there's no chance you're going to jail at all. You'd need to have stolen substantially more than you have, and/or over an extended period of time, for that to happen.
I'd say its most likely you'd go to court and get a suspended sentence. You might get a fine, possibly, I'm not sure on that. But that all depends on if your store wants to involve the authorities. If they aren't going to, then you'll just lose your job, obviously.
I'll reinforce the advice in the thread regarding the interview. Be concise, answer their questions directly and in as few words as reasonably possible. Don't embellish, stick to the facts only. Do not under any circumstances get defensive. Hear what they say, and accept their decision with as much grace as you can muster.
1. If you are in a union, get hold of your union rep, NOW. This support is what we pay our union fees for. Are you in USDAW?
2. If you're not in a union, join one. NOW.
3. Ask for a copy of your employers disciplinary procedure. Read it thoroughly. You should be entitled to take someone with you to the hearing, as support, Union rep if possible, friend who will stay calm and speak for you if needed if you're not in the union.
4. It is normal to suspend someone on full pay pending a disciplinary hearing for something this serious.
5. Your disciplinary policy/procedure will let you know if this is classed as misconduct, or gross misconduct. If it is misconduct, you will probably receive a written warning/final written warning. The difference between the 2 is that if you infringe the disciplinary policy again whilst the final written warning stands, you will be summarily dismissed (fired on the spot). Gross misconduct means you are likely to be fired.
6. Your job now is to prepare for the hearing - write everything down, don't rely on memory, you will forget something important. You are going to plead mitigating circumstances. Explain fully why you did what you did, how wrong it was, how much you regret a momentary lapse of judgement, how you don't understand how you thought it was a solution to the situation you found yourself in, how this is so aberant a behaviour for you, that you have an exemplary record up until this one point, how you felt unable to ask for help financially, go on and on about it, its the only chance you have.
7. If you haven't paid the money back, DO SO NOW! Do not wait until the hearing, contact your manager and ask if you can pay it back now.
I have had to discipline someone for stealing a Gortex coat from a course participant on a training course, at a venue I used. He was caught on video. It was a momentary lapse of judgement, in a very lovely young man. The owner of the coat didn't want to press charges, he just wanted his coat back. I had to show the young man the video of him stealing the coat, then suspended him on full pay for a week, pending the disciplinary hearing. My organisation's disciplinary policy was that theft was gross misconduct. I knew I would have to sack him at the disciplinary, he would have no chance of appeal, as we had video evidence of him stealing, so before the hearing, I told him to resign - quitting a job is much better on your employment record than being sacked for gross misconduct. It was one of the saddest things I've had to do as a manager, as he was a good worker, had just made a stupid decision.
I don't think its likely your employer has informed the police, as you would have been arrested by now. If you get on well with your manager, you could maybe approach them to either be a character witness, or to sound out how they think the hearing will go. Plan to resign before you are formally dismissed. You can tell a future employer that you left due to "differences", as you left of your own will, rather than were sacked for theft.
If I can be of any more help, pm me.
For paintings in progress, check out canvas and paints
"The power of the weirdness compels me."
My Pinny Pal's Lanyard
"Players are artists who create their own reality within the game." - Shigeru Miyamoto
All I'm going to say is listen to LewieP's Mummy she is right about everything. Some of the best advice I have seen on here.
@gamefacts - Totally and utterly true gaming facts on the regular!
This is the "Help and Advice forum" not "Judge people and be complete douche bags so that you can get your superiority complex boner on" forum.
Coming in to the thread just to tell someone that "If I were your boss I'd fire you and press charges!" does not make you a better person, or help the poster.
This is just something troubling I've been seeing lately, what happened to the forum golden rule, "Don't be a dick"?
What makes you think that doesn't apply here? By coming in here to criticize, belittle, and insult the thread posters, all you do is a create a hostile environment in an internet community that should be loving and supportive of one another, no matter the reason they are in the situation they are in. Forumers shouldn't have to make a post asking for help, and then defend their character.
Everyone makes mistakes, we aren't here to place blame. We are here to solve problems.
Thanks,
Bendery L. Beckham
On topic: I've had to deal with accusations of theft, and even conduct my own investigations on other employees. Your best bet is to show up, admit it was stupid, pay it back, and then ask if it is in your best interest to resign. If they are going to draw it out and consult legal advisers to fire you anyway, resigning can be a classier and more beneficial way of leaving a company.
It's only criminal if someone presses charges. They didn't yet. Technically it's a misdemeanor anyways, she's not getting any jail time for taking 40 quid. Unless the legal system works a bit different in UK I don't foresee anything but "getting fired" as the worst possibility here, maybe small claims court or asked to pay a fine if charges were filed.
You mean this isn't the Superiority Complex Boner forum? Looking at the few post on a few recent thread I swore it is.
to OP: Don't worry too much about getting charged and a criminal record. I doubt anyone would screw someone over for life over 40 bucks. On the other hand you should show up with the worst sorry face in your life to get out of this unscarred.
I found out that it was being classed as gross misconduct so decided to take LewieP's Mummys advice and resign first. Thank you so much for taking the time to do that btw, it made things a lot clearer (and a bit less scary). And thanks to everyone who posted their own experiences, it's re-assuring in a way to know that everyone makes mistakes and it doesn't define who you are.
Even people who just made snarky, critical comments, it was something i probably needed to hear.
Although Bendery L. Beckham, right on the money :P