Stolen Bottle of Champagne

The manager could have taken it and now forcing you to pay again. I wouldn't pay.

What a bully your boss is @NameChangeAndLifeChange.

I simply don't understand the justification of asking you to replenish the cost of a gift that belonged to you all in the first place? Why on earth should any of you be out of pocket.

When was the champagne gifted? Was it there a while or was it gifted on a Thursday for example and by Friday it was gone? Could someone have come back to the office after a few drinks and decided to take it then?

Given that your boss is making such a big deal of it, my assumption would be that it was him that snaffled it and is acting the bully to draw attention away from himself. There's no way I'd pay!

If it was a gift to you and your fellow employees, then technically you are the victim of a crime if it was stolen by someone other than the gift recipients. If it was taken by one of the gift recipients, then they are only a thief in regards to that part of the champagne that isn't their share. The theft is not from your employer, it from a group of people working in your office. Therefore it does not come under your boss's authority, and certainly does not permit him to take sanctions against anyone that affect their employment status or salary. I'd be telling him you will be calling the police yourself and consulting HR/ACAS if he wants to persist down this foolish course of action.

Well, he can't do that. If you have no HR team, where's the written warning going to appear from?

Get written proof of what's he asking for - on the face of it, it seems illegal?

Phone ACAS for advice and see if it would be grounds to take him to a tribunal!

OP, please don't leave- make your boss sack you over the champagne bottle then you can get them done for unfair dismissal and be the biggest winner.

best scenario imo

Don't tell him to stick his job.

Let him sack you and then take him to a tribunal.

The question I would ask is, how do you know the boss hasn’t stolen it?

I would say this to them and see what happens.

You could actually have a lot of fun with this. I would also contact ACAS.

YANBU OP! Report report report.
The most ridiculous thing about this is that none of your colleagues are out of pocket. The champagne was a gift. No sane person would ask people to pay for it, you might as well keep your money and individually buy yourselves glasses of wine lol
Bet the manager took it.

I would speak to the boss, tell them you had no part in taking the bottle and your're not willing to contribute.

Last and only time it happened to me as a team we got read the riot act.
It was a bit more serious as it was stock going missing.
The boss gave us a talking to a few times.
I was Saturday staff (remember them?) and the boss let three go and blamed us.
Went in a week later, new boss.
Yep, it was the boss who was light-fingered.
I was at a school careers day years later and she was giving a talk on how to be a good employee.
Don’t know how I kept a straight face!

That's coercion, and if you resign as a result of this, you can take him to a tribunal for unfair dismissal.
Suggest you give the citizen's advice bureau a ring on monday

I’ll give you some free legal advice (not that you need to be a qualified solicitor to figure this out as many other posters have surmised); your boss simply can’t demand payment or otherwise garnish your wages to pay for your “share” . I think offering to support a police investigation is a good way to call his bluff.

needsomewarmsunshine · Today 16:54

I wonder if manager has swiped it for some reason and now needs to replace it?

We're of a similarly cynical mindset!

Fuck that for a game of soldiers. Boss needs to grow up.

I wonder if manager has swiped it for some reason and now needs to replace it?

Exactly this. This is actually outrageous OP. He's essentially blackmailing his employees because they are worried for their jobs. I would take this very seriously.

There's no way I'd contribute. Why is the manager more bothered about replacing an ultimately worthless shared gift than finding out who the dishonest employee is? Is there someone higher up than this manager you can talk to?

"I'll co-operate fully and freely with any criminal prosecution you might want to pursue, but I won't be contributing to replace this item"

on a much smaller scale, some good kept going missing at my work. Management said it was either me or two other colleagues as we were the only ones who had stayed late and the finger was pointed at all 3 of us. Like you, I was innocent and it turns out to be one of the colleagues - I was so surprised. No idea how they found out… maybe she admitted it

Not the point but, is the cash he's demanding even going to be used to buy a replacement?
I agree with you op, I wouldn't be accepting a group punishment for something I haven't done, especially when if everyone on the team is under suspicion then this manager is not above suspicion so should be chipping in also.

Ridiculous when no one is actually out of pocket anyway.

As frustrated as he might be, he needs to let this one go and next time lock it up.

It was a gift.

The boss stole it.

I'd bet my house on it!

@NameChangeAndLifeChange

I would advise you ["Namechange"] to call the police [101 rather than 999 probably] and simply say that there has been a theft and - at this stage - ask what can be done. The bully should - of course - have done that already.

It will bring it out into the open