The Theft Finally Registered

(The manager has mentioned to me that there have been several shortfalls in the registers the last few weeks. She has her suspicions as to who it is, as it only happens when one girl is working. I work my first few supervising shifts and notice that she plays with the money in the till. I notice her putting her hand into her pocket as she closes the till. I couldn’t see what it was or could prove anything. That evening we are $20 short. I put in $20 of my own money to make the count correct. The next day I tell my supervisor what I did.)

Supervisor: “You didn’t have to do that. I told [Manager] and she said that she will get your money back to you.”

Me: “I just didn’t want to be out that much in my first week of supervising here.”

Supervisor: “We know who it is. We just don’t know how to broach it without real proof. Just wish she’d stop it.”

Me: “I have an idea. Leave it up to me.”

(The next time I work with this girl:)

Me: “I need everyone to double check the change they give back to customers, please. The other day we were out by $20 and I had to replace it out of my own pocket.”

Coworker: *looking shocked* “Really, you had to pay it back?”

Me: “Seeing as I was supervisor and it’s my responsibility, yes. I am not losing my job over $20.”

(A couple of weeks later the manager got around to giving me that $20.)

Manager: “I don’t know what you did but there’s been no more shortfalls. What did you say to her?”

Me: “The truth: that the money came out of my own pocket. She was shocked. She probably thought nothing of stealing from the company but not when it was me. She seems to really like me.”

(Eventually the girl was asked to leave due to laziness but is lucky because the company would have thought nothing of prosecuting her over the petty thefts!)