Clocked Off For Good

(I manage the college campus coffee shop. One day, I notice one of the student workers going into the back room, where the time clock is located. She leaves moments later. Since she isn’t due to work that morning, I am curious, and I look at her time card. She has clocked in and left. I look back at past weeks, and determine that she had been clocking a few hours prior to most of her shifts for almost a month. I pull her time card, and leave a note for her to come see me.)

Employee: “Hey, what’s up? I couldn’t find my time card, and your note didn’t say.”

Me: “You clocked in a few hours ago, and then left.”

Employee: “…and?”

Me: “You falsified your record of hours worked, which constitutes fraud and theft. Since this has been going on for a month, the amount you’ve stolen is enough to count as a felony.”

Employee: “Oh. So… is that a problem? I was short on money, and thought I’d get some extra hours.”

Me: “Extra hours that you didn’t work?”

Employee: “Yeah!”

Me: “And you don’t see why that’s a problem?”

Employee: “No, why?”

Me: “Then you’re REALLY not going to expect what’s coming next.”

(Since I’m a big softy, I just fired her, and didn’t bring the police into it.)