Someone has stolen my coat!

[JellyTots2009]

I work nights and start at 8pm. I came into work a few nights ago around 19:50.

All staff share a tiny coded room that holds a tall cabinet of small lockers and coat pegs on the door for their belongings.

Whenever I come in day staff have used all the pegs so I lay my coat over my bag on the floor.
A few hours later when I go to get my bag , my coat has disappeared from on top. I look around and it's nowhere to be seen. Not been put on the coat peg.

The only people to enter that room while my coat was there were the day staff when they were getting their belongings to go home.

I thought maybe one had accidentally picked it up and taken it home, i could ask them tomorrow.

Fast forward to the next morning I asked the staff from the night before if they had taken it, all said no and seemed a little shocked it had gone. I had the other two staffs numbers who weren't in and messaged them. They also said they had not seen it.

Now I'm thinking one of them has it because it's not possible to be anyone else. There is a sign up in the room saying belongings are left at owners risk and lockers should be used. Fair enough. But my coat is padded and will not fit in a tiny locker that can only fit a small handbag in. There is nowhere in my work where we can hang coats except for that room so is it my own fault that my coat has gone missing? I wear that coat to work because it is so cold, I have a lift back home and get dropped off a few streets away from my house and that coat is very good for the cold weather. Now I have no other winter coat and have to do the school run in a thin jacket.

So after I gave a chance for any day staff to bring it back if it was taken, it hasn't been brought back in , I'm deciding I'm going to management on Monday.

I wanted advice because the coat was left in the only place it could be and can't fit into a locker, but then I have the problem of the notice in the room. How can I word this? Also this coat wasn't cheap. My DP bought it me two Christmas's ago and I know it cost him £80. I only wear it to work because it is my only big coat.

Please advise me MN, thanks

@Berthatydfil - that's what has happened and what the OP has done.

Oh ok I thought the note that had already been left didn’t say about checking the cctv.
It’s just giving the person one more chance to bring it back before being identified as a thief by management

Hopefully they will bring it in. Your house or car keys could have been in the pocket

Exactly. I'm glad no keys or valuables were in my pockets.

Do you know the shift pattern of the person who you suspect mixed up the coats? Could you go in to work early & swap the coats back?

If it’s an affluent area and all the colleagues are comfortable- then yes I would say it’s ridiculous anyone would steal it.

You’re aware some people take things they like just because they can, irrespective of background or situation...?

Never mind that you can’t ever really know that all your colleagues are genuinely comfortable.

I have no clue who it could be. The only people who are suspects are the staff on the Wednesday.
I will be letting management know everything.

**‘Is there anyone there who is really struggling for money?’

Nice. I’m really struggling for money but would never ever in a million years steal anything from anyone. Things have gone missing from my office recently and I’m worried people might think It’s me. Looks like I was right!

I’m not saying that being poor makes you more likely to steal- of course it doesn’t- I’m saying that to take a second hand coat must mean you are quite desperate.

It’s not generally a desirable thing to steal.

I really hope you get your coat back, OP. It's not just the loss of a coat, it's the loss of a gift from your partner.

Well well well. The coat has returned! A work friend (the same one who was with me when I noticed coat had gone) turned up on my door holding it saying she saw it in the locked room on a coat peg. So one of the people that said no actually did have it and returned it.
I'm thankful for that.
But will be very careful from now on. I still need to take the coat to work with me as it's still so cold out but I will be vigilant.

Good news.

Now sew a little pink stitch somewhere on the lining - somewhere that isn’t noticeable - down an arm, in a pocket, etc so if it goes again you can identify it if someone claims it is theirs.

Shame it wasn’t just admitted as a mistake to you personally but the main thing is it is back. Be cosy again!

By the sound of it , the other person took it by accident and returned it as soon as they noticed, no harm done and no reason to think you work with a thief, probably a honest mistake.

I get that @mama but why did they not just admit it earlier when OP asked? No harm done - a little ‘sorry silly me I will take it back tomorrow’ wouldn’t have hurt.

Probably embarrassed and not wanting to get shouted at. Glad it's back.

Doesn't sound like they have returns it though. Sounds like they have worn it to work because they still think it's there's?

Doesn't sound like they have returns it though. Sounds like they have worn it to work because they still think it's their's?

Well that will learn them then @myfuckingfreezer won’t it?

Good news that your coat has been returned. If it were mine, I'd be inclined to label it with my first initial and last name on a couple of places on the inside e.g. just below the collar and next to where the garment care labels usually are (use a silver Sharpie if the coat lining is a dark colour). I'd avoid writing it on anything that can easily be cut out just in case your coat's disappearance had been intentional. If you really want to ensure it can't be accidentally put on by someone else, thread a bike lock cable through the sleeves and lock the ends together! The key can be kept with your locker key and although colleagues may think it's a bit OTT, you'll know your coat won't be accidentally worn home by someone else.

Maybe the person that took it took it thinking to was theirs, didn’t realise it wasn’t when texted, wore it in to work and then left with their own coat?

Pop a tile in it. It's a tiny tracker to find lost things.