Fast Food Hell: Unsuspecting Cashier Suddenly Suspect For Major Theft

Call me Yuka, if you will, and I'll try to keep this one as short as possible.

I'm a cashier at a popular burger place that recently opened at the beginning of May. After a string of jobs that just weren't...ideal...since I moved to the big city, I found this job here and adored it from the beginning. It was easy, fun and I was good at it more or less. Like most people, I made an oopsie here or there, but nothing catastrophic.

At the end of every week, I'd look at the schedule, note down my hours for the week after and be on my merry way. For 5 weeks, I'd do this without a hitch, until last Monday. 

I had taken a few days off to go to a convention but had noted my hours before I left. During that time off, I had conversed with one of my coworkers, telling him how I missed him and the rest of the night crew and that I was looking forward to see them all soon. That's when he told me that I was off all next week.

"Well, that can't be right," I told him. "I took down my hours just before I left and I work on x days." But that wasn't the case any more apparently, because to prove what he said, my coworker took a picture of the schedule and uploaded it to Facebook for me to see for myself. Sure enough, every day was off for me. 

Since it was the middle of the night, I put it off until the next morning to call my boss to ask him what was going on. Basically what happened is that over the course of the 5 weeks the restaurant's been opened, $2000 is missing and it all disappeared during shifts I was on! And apparently the only way that could've happened is if I messed up so badly on basically every single transaction that the errors totalled 2 grand, or I helped myself to the five-finger discount.

So they took away all my shifts until this is sorted out. But that is illegal and even though it's against the law, I've decided to wait it out for the week to see what happens. If it stretches into a second week, then as much as I love my job and I love my boss, I'll have to report them to labour relations.

So to sum it up, I've done nothing but work hard for my restaurant and I get accused of ripping off thousands of dollars while they pull something illegal. Fun stuff, eh.

May all your customers be nice.

--Yuka

Update:

Talked to my boss, said I definitely didn't take any money, but he's seen me make serious mistakes over the course of 5 weeks that would amount to $30 on orders by doing stuff like double orders. But I've never had any complaints like that and any mistakes I've caught, I've had refunds done on them. Plus I would think my customers would notice if I overcharged them. All my customers have been happy with me, so I don't know how I could've made mistakes that would amount from $50 - $300 a night. :/ Seriously though, this basically ruins my credibility as a cashier, which was the only thing I had any real experience in and the only job I've enjoyed.

Oh, and I'm pretty much fired. He said he'd think about this over night and call me the afternoon of June 3rd. He never called and maybe he will later but it looks like I'm on the job hunt again. Doesn't erase the fact that the suspension violated my basic rights, probation or not. But after all, my boss had to "protect his interests."

Comments

[CashierBtch]

Don't let them get away with this shit, especially since the boss couldn't have big enough balls to tell you himself.

[The Last Archimedean]

Report them immediately. First off, they have a serious problem in that you didn't take the money [your boss even admitted it] but SOMEBODY did. So, who's ripping off the store? Secondly, if you're not guilty of the theft, what justification do they have for letting you go? None. They SHOULD keep you on and fire [and prosecute!] the person who stole $2,000 in 5 weeks.

That's a lot of money to be missing. Reminds me of this urban legend...

A man walks into a bank and goes over to the manager.

Man: "I'd like to speak to Reginald Jones, whom I understand is a tried and trusted employee of yours."

Manager: "He was certainly trusted. And he will be tried... as soon as we catch him!"

[Michael]

Im with Last Arch. This has "wrongful termination" written all over it. One of the hardware stores I worked, there was a month where all the cashiers were mysteriously winding up $20-50 short on a regular basis.

This was doubly strange to me, because I'm always careful about logging the drops correctly, counting back change, and everything else that should lead to a balanced drawer.

Turns out there was a thief in our midst... the uppity bitch that counted all the employee's drawers in the money room! She was led out in handcuffs, laughing at how long it took management to figure it out.

I hope you get your name cleared, but it might also sound like whatever happens, you don't want to go back to that job. Looks to me like they won't back up their workers, and that's always a recipe for hell.

[Valerie]

Wait, he says he caught you making big mistakes over the course of 5 weeks and he didn't TELL you? Yeah, right!

This is a cover-up - you should consult a lawyer. (They'll do a free consultation to find out if they can do anything for you.) What if the manager gets heat from higher up and reports you to the cops?

[greenie]

Are they not counting your cash drawer at the end of every shift? Is multiple people using the same cash drawer?
Usually there is only a few ways that will cause you to be short in your cash drawer. Like giving back too much change; i.e. the customer is suppose to get back 2.45 and you give them 3.45 or the customer gives you a $10, but you cash them out as if they gave you a $20.
Every place I worked at where I ran a register, my cash was counted at the end of the day and any discrepancies were noted. It just seems real fishy that they just now are saying that you have been short all theses week?

[DrugStore Diva]

Why did it take them 5 weeks to do something? If I had a problem with shortage I'd want to solve it the first week rather than wait a month. Sounds like they just needed a scapegoat and you were handy. I agree with the others, contact a lawyer for a consult and report it to the labor board.

[Jr manager]

I work in a grocery store, and we have to count down the tills all the time. Any major discrepencies are noted in a book and after a certain amount is missing over x period of time. The cashier is demoted or fired after warnings. I agree with everyone else for you to get a lawyer. If the till is off bu alot of money 1 day. I get chewed out if i did not explain and warn a cashier. The only way it could be your fault is if somehow you got alot of counterfeit bills, or you use brand new bills all the time and they possibly stick together. Good luck in the future. My gut says the manager seems fishy.

[Bored at the Bookstore]

Something's definitely fishy here... YOU know you didn't take the money, so who could've? Sounds like a job by, maybe, the man who got rid of you to make it look right? I'd be turning the suspicion right back at the person who didn't tell you you were suspended, didn't accuse you to your face, and let you go by _not_ calling to tell you so. Why is he so eager to get you gone?

What do you bet the thefts stop for a while, now, and pick up again when the thief thinks it's safe again? And some other poor slave gets his/her reputation trashed? Of course, that's assuming the thief is smart enough to think that way. Maybe you'll be lucky and the thief will continue stealing. Hope so.

I would very much want to file for wrongful termination and bring everything out in the open, were I you... The real thief is getting away with it, and you're being smeared; that's just wrong.

Best of luck - do keep us updated, won't you?

[Karebear]

I would def try to get it looked into. It does sound very fishy. If you weren't the one to count down your drawer at night/end of shift, he could of been taking the money out while doing so. Therefore passing the blame on to you. If a manager won't let you watch him/her count down your drawer before going home, raise hell. Best way to be safe.

[cashykat]

Oh that's fishy as hell. If he really believed you stole $2,000, he would have called the cops and had you arrested for theft.

Like the others have posted, every day there is a report that has a list of how much a drawer was off or even and which cashier was on it. Then there is a log book where that stuff is written down every day.

I think the manager is helping himself to a 5 finger discount and you looked like an easy way to cover his sticky fingers.

[mel]

The employer has to prove that you are responsible. They can't legally fire you without proof. Proof should be easy for them to obtain since most places are under camera now, and also SOMEONE has to be bookkeeping your float every night.

I wouldn't be surprised if your boss took money and chose you as his scapegoat. The fact that they waited until you were out of town to brush you off so that there was no in-person confrontation is a huge giveaway.

[Sunfire]

I agree with the others posted above.

Please let us know how everything is going.

We are here to support you.

[DishesDarling]

Definitely definitely definitely get some outside help with this--labor board, lawyer, -something-. The way we handled cash at Sub, any missing cash would have been found out either by the time we left, or within a day; small amounts would come out of our checks and big amounts would probably be bringing in police and looking over security footage etc etc.

If they were sure you'd stolen the money, you'd be in trouble with the police. I understand not wanting to upset stuff (I've had similar issues with pay for overtime), but this is too fishy. Get help, and let us know how it goes.

[YukaJuka]

Thanks for the support every one. :)

While I'm relieved that they don't believe I stole any money, like I said in my update, my credibility as a cashier is basically ruined. On top of that, I had recently signed a money handling agreement where any money discrepancies would come outta my pay check. Fortunately, he's not gonna make me pay back 2 grand. While I had a glimmer of hope that I wouldn't be fired when my boss said he liked me and that I'm a hard worker, he still hasn't called as of 1:04PM my time. I've been fired without being notified officially before so I'm thinking that's what's happening.

However, this doesn't erase the fact that the suspension was illegal, regardless of the fact that I was on probation. While I don't have as strong a case against them now, I can still report them to labour relations over this. If I can get over my fear of making phone calls, that is. ._. Fuck my life lol

[Nick]

You signed a money handling agreement where any money discrepancies would come from your pay check?

[Slave54703]

You signed an agreement that you would pay for the discrepancies? Of course there will be some now!

What a great way for an employer to double dip!

I would NEVER EVER in a million years sign something like that!!!!

[DishesDarling]

I had something along those lines where any smaller amount is deducted in equal amounts from everyone on the clock at the time--you know, the times you're a dollar or two under for messing up the change or something. But larger stuff... again, fishy. Even if they don't make you pay back the 2 grand, your credibility as a cashier is definitely worth fighting for, here.

If you don't like phone calls, maybe you could email?

[L]

I know I have seen stores that will let employees they know are stealing continue to do so before having them arrested so that they have more evidence, a clear trail, and more ammo with which to prosecute. However, if you were not stealing, then it looks like you're just being used as the scape goat; in an instance like this, I almost wonder if it's not your boss themselves who is using you to get away with the thefts. I would talk with a lawyer so they know they can't pin this on you without clear evidence. Good luck.

[Kristina]

I'm with everyone else. Someone has their hand in the cookie jar and as a new employee you made the perfect scapegoat. That much money being gone would lead to charges anywhere else. I would definitely talk to a lawyer about this, even if you work in an "at will state", don't take this laying down.

[Kiddo]

I agree with everyone else, get a lawyer.

[derrr]

Talk to a lawyer to see what legal actions you can take.

Fight back.

[NC Tony]

I'm adding my voice to the "Get a laywer" chorus. I'm also thinking the boss is stealing and decided to pin it on you, so get that sumbitch!

[Mollywobbles]

I was fired from a place for money going missing from my register. It was about $50-$100 three times, and they made me pay it back each time, even though I wasn't the only person on the register. Turns out, after I'd gotten fired, money was still going missing (imagine that!) and a different girl was fired - you know, the one they actually caught on camera stealing money. They'd had no evidence against me, though, just that it had been my drawer and my responsibility to count it down at the end of the night.
At my current job, I've been put on suspension twice for money being missing - turns out very early on, I had problems giving people the right change for large bills. Another time, someone actually managed to scam me out of $40 by saying I hadn't given it to him (I had) for his $50 bill. I was tired and I believed that I could possibly have made a mistake, and just gave it to him. Every time I had to pay the money back, and one of those times there was another girl whom I'd been training working on my drawer while I was nearby (I still had to pay it back because I "shouldn't have left her side" and the drawer was "your responsibility"). That was over a year ago, and since installing security cameras and taking all kinds of other precautions, no money has gone missing, and when it does, they blame the right person (one girl got caught on camera stealing more than $60 - her question when they confronted her was "So am I fired then?").
This whole thing reeks of wrongful firing and the manager being the thief and seeing you as an easy target. I would lawyer up, definitely.

[Shannah]

I agree with everyone so far, but I would add one more thing: consider not reporting this job on your resume.

Since you didn't steal the money, I see no reason to let this job destroy your credibility as a cashier. Unless you live in a small enough town that "folks know" what happened, I think you might find that a 5-week gap in employment might be preferable to having anyone calling your creepo boss for a reference.

I wonder, as someone else mentioned, whether or not it's your boss who stole the money. I also had alarm bells ringing when I heard you'd signed a paper saying you'd pay any missing money back. I can't say I'd never sign such a thing, because hungry enough, I might work for a buck an hour, but it would seriously make me wary of the situation.

I'm so sorry this is happening to you, and I hope you get justice.

[Bored at the Bookstore]

Secondary note... My aunt worked many, many years ago for Kresge's, the forerunner of K-Mart, and they were positively anal about the tills coming out right. You counldn't leave until the money balanced. Aunt taught me the "approved" method of making change, back in the days before the cash register told you what to hand out.

1. Announce the amount due from the customer.
2. When the customer hands you the cash, say the amount out loud - "$12.43 out of $20.00"...
3. Lay the customer's money on the register ledge or otherwise in view of both of you.
4. Enter the amount tendered on the register, and when the drawer opens, extract the change.
5. Count the change into the customer's hand, or onto the counter in front of him/her... "44, 45, 50 cents, another fifty make 1.00 - $13 (coins). $14, $15, and $5 makes $20 (two ones and a five). Thank you."
6. Then and only then do you place the $20 bill in the drawer.

I still use this old-fashioned method every day, because I am seriously math-challenged. With a register that tells me what change to give out, I will shortcut by saying, "57 cents, and 7 dollars, makes $20." Sounds time-consuming, I know, but not half as annoying as trying to make the drawer balance later, or having the customer insist s/he gave you a bigger bill, when it's lying right there in plain sight the whole time. So many schools just don't teach how to properly make change any more, probably because we're all supposed to go to college, get a degree, and then get those high-paying positions that don't require such knowledge. Riiiight.

Anyway, if you, like me, have a little problem keeping the numbers balanced, this might help.

[Spider]

Sounds like you've been made the scapegoat. Get a lawyer, or they'll screw you over.

[MA_Nightmare]

Report it, report it, REPORT IT. I can't say that enough. They're doing you wrong, no matter what state/country you live in. You need to make them answer for this - contact the labor commission. Some will have resources online where you can email complaints anonymously, if you choose to. Just don't let this go so they can screw over someone else. I mean, how many have gotten this same treatment before you and didn't report it? Someone's got to stand up.

[Govy_bitch]

What they did to you was a total scam, and illegal as hell. They have probably gotten away with doing this to other newbies who were too afraid to say anything. Get an attorney on this and fight it. The fact that they didn't arrest you or press charges tells me they scammed you. Sounds like your douche of a boss had his fingers in the till, and was looking for a scapegoat. Also make sure to file a formal complaint with your labor relations board. If someone doesn't say anything, they'll continue to get away with this. Best of luck to you.

[YukaJuka]

Wow people get screwed around a lot, eh.

For all I know, I'm a scapegoat or I really did screw up that badly.

But when he tells me that he's sat in front of his cameras for hours watching me make mistake after mistake, why didn't he fire me earlier or gave me training/stuck someone beside me to ensure I didn't make any more? And before he suspended me, why weren't there any warnings? That's what I'm asking myself. Also, in regards to the money handling agreement, I'm not the only one who signed it, just to make that clear. All the cashiers signed it. And apparently the missing money has been coming out of my boss's personal pay.

As for what I'm going to do now, yes I could say I just was unemployed for a month. However, I'm concerned about what potential employers would say about that gap. I'm worried they'd be like, "Oh, she hasn't had a job for such a long time. What does that say about her employability?" But it looks like a risk I'd have to take. And if I did lose all that money, it takes a toll on how I view myself as a cashier. :c

But yeah, we'll see how it goes. The chances of me being employed at the last job I quit because of a coworker is nill. My former boss loves me...I mean legit loves me...so I won't be going back there.

[YukaJuka]

Update: They had an option to email a complaint in so I did that instead. ^.^

[CashierBtch]

a proper manager would have first worked with you or had someone more experienced help you if you made some mistakes. They would have given you proper warning and would have also told you that you had been suspended instead of being a pussy and making himself look sketchy. he's either hiding his illegal acts or just a shitty manager. either way, you'd be doing the company a favor by helping them get rid of him

[YukaJuka]

Yeah, I don't think they're gonna get rid of him. He's closely related to the man who started the chain. >.>; And apparently he's seen me be corrected, only to go back to doing the same mistake. I've been taught stuff and corrected about my behaviour, but never anything concerning money except for minor stuff like, "We're running short on toonies so start handing out more loonies."

[Minidoc]

If they did not give you a chance to correct your mistakes by first telling you you were making them, then it was wrongful termination and you should call a lawyer. And in this economy, a 5-week employment gap isn't that bad. I know people who were unemployed for months because the jobs just weren't there.

[Shannah]

If he claims he has video of you making errors as a cashier, I'd ask to see the tape.

If I saw you even make one mistake with making change or whatever, I'd talk to you nicely about it, privately, then keep an eye on you until you got the hang of it.

Reading your responses, though, I have to say that it does bother me that you seem so willing to take the blame, and accuse yourself. I think this is a bad thing to do: if you don't stand up for yourself, who will? It can also make you a target. "No, I won't try to short Judy's till, she'd make a big stink about it, let me short Yukajuka's."

In your next job, I'd recommend keeping close watch on what you're doing, and not letting anyone blame you for something they can't prove you did wrong.

[YukaJuka]

Yeah, Shannah, I know but I'm jut one of those non-confrontational people. Stems back to childhood, entirely different story, but still.

So my boss finally called me, turns out he was floored by the flu and couldn't call. So he let me down gently (fortunately) and said I can come pick up my last pay check on Friday. He didn't saying anything about deductions so I'm assuming I'm getting everything that I was owed. At least now this whole ordeal is finally over and I can move on to finding another job. I texted my job coach over at Employment Ontario and I'll be paying him a visit soon. :) Also, I got an email back from my inquiry to Labour Relations. They said I should call this officer person instead and gave me a number. ._. Oh well, I got questions to be answered.

[Boho]

First of all, no lawyer will take that case. I'd forget about that. You have no evidence or paperwork and most chain business like that will generally have some type of corporate attorney, which are no fun.

Secondly, you gotta learn to speak up and get over this fear of phone conversation. You're obviously old enough to get a job, so it's time to start stepping it up. If you don't get over this now, your life will be much more difficult. You will be damned to a life of retail hell. Sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone. I step out of mine on a daily basis.

Thirdly, as others have said, don't put this on your resume. No one will question such a small gap. Chalk this up as a lesson learned and forget about it.

Sorry if I sound like a douche, but I don't sugarcoat things, and I'm trying to help you.

[Humor_Me]

When I worked at the bigger pet store the only time my drawer was ever off by more than $1 was when the ASS manager (the manager's son) was running it; when I was either on break, with a customer, or on lunch. Twice it was off by $10! He was the only other person on it, so guess where the money went? They guy with the drug habit. He was eventually banned from the store after stealing thousands of dollars in merchandise.

One thing to help you with your phone-phobia is to write a script. I don't have phone-phobia, but I do have memory issues due to my health. It makes a difference.

[DishesDarling]

And don't forget--keep us posted on this! We're here for you.

[Hapax Legomenon]

I hope everything turns out well for you. I have phone-phobia too, which I get around by pretending I'm another person when I answer the phone. You probably have a customer-service demeanor you've used with customers before, right? A little perkier and maybe more outgoing version of your normal self? Just try being that person on the phone.
Also, I'd call my boss and ask him if it would be possible to see the tape of you making this mistake when I collected my last paycheck. If there's some massive mistake they let you make for 5 weeks, you should know what it was and how you were making it. If there's not, at least you'll know it was someone else's "mistake" and not your fault at all. But you deserve to see the footage that got you fired, and refusal to show you that footage will mean you shouldn't have BEEN fired and you shouldn't have to blame yourself. It'll be for your own peace of mind, because unfortunately I think Boho's right about getting an attorney. But I still think it would be worth the trouble to try to see the footage.