Allegation made at work

[Explaintome]

One of our cleaners came to me this evening to say she'd seen another cleaner stealing food and cleaning materials.

She is very insistant that she's seen her colleague putting biscuits and stock into her bag.

TBH we don't keep much food in, just biscuits for meetings and if they were going missing, I think we'd have noticed. The cleaning materials might not be so easily missed, but no one has noticed stocks running down quickly, we don't seem to be getting through more than usual.

The cleaners are employed through a contractor so I don't manage them as such, but I do manage the premises and the cleaning contract.

If it makes a difference the complainant is white and the "thief" is black. I almost feel like a spurious complaint would be worse than actual stealing.

I shall speak to the company in the morning, but what would you expect their response to be? I feel I need to do "something", but I'm not convinced there has been stealing. If this is nastiness I'm horrified.

Fwiw until today the cleaners all seemed lovely and are doing a great job.

Can you count the biscuits and see? Must you report if you feel its spurious?

I feel like

Doh! I feel like I should report the potential (racist?) victimisation if there's no stealing.

I'm a bit disappointed as the cleaner said she's already told the employer and they haven't mentioned it to me.

Leave it to the contractor to sort out!
Its “he said she said” proof is needed before allegations are made.

Firstly you need to address the accusation; if proved unfounded then you need to investigate potential racism. It might also be true or nothing to do with racism it might be two folks who dislike each other. I’d not jump to conclusions here. Both employees are entitled to a fair hearing.

You don't know if there has been a theft or the accuser is spreading a race related slur. I'd thank the person reporting it and let them know it will be dealt with and then leave it for now. I wouldn't escalate based on what you've said.

Oh sorry it’s a contract. Report to the contractor and back off.

I used to work somewhere and the coffee in the staffroom was stolen, work jackets were taken from offices etc. We thought it was the cleaning staff. I left soon after son not sure if it was ever resolved.

With biscuits could it be along the lines of cleaner brings her own biscuits in (maybe she's diabetic or something) and the other person saw her put her own packet back in her bag?

What's the other stock too? Could there be a simple explanation for that?

Or do you have CCTV?

But imagine if you witnessed a theft and reported it, and you report was dismissed as racism?
I'd be worried that your allegation of racism would look as bad as their allegation of theft. It doesn't seem like there is evidence to back up either of them.
Keep count of your biscuit and cleaning stock so that you can monitor if anything unexpected goes missing.

Make an audit but ultimately its up to the hired contractors to investigate
That's why you employ them

Stock should be audited regularly as standard anyway, so start doing that and leave it to whoever their manager is to sort out the rest. All you'd be doing now is reporting a report. Advise the accuser to raise it properly so you can stay out of it as much as possible if it's not within the scope of your job to deal with (sounds like it's not?).

It's your responsibility to establish whether stock has been stolen, if it's purchased by your company.

You can't report racism on the basis of the accuser being white and the accused being black without establishing the facts of whether the accusation is genuine. I find it quite strange that is what you've jumped to.

I would tell the cleaner to report to her line manager (the contractor) and back away. What have we come to nowadays that just because the accused is black it could be racism. What would you have done if they were both black or it was the other way round (accused was white)?

Pass this up to somebody who has the authority to deal with it appropriately.

Why are you jumping to the racism idea just because the accused is black? Has the white person ever been racist before? Have they ever made malicious complaints before? You’re projecting your own insecurities onto others and it’s unfair onto both parties.

I haven't "jumped" to anything. I wonder if it's malicious because there's no evidence of anything going missing.

It doesn't make you not racist to pretend not to notice colour or to believe it doesn't matter

there's no evidence of anything going missing.

Leave it then & stay out of whatever drama is being created.

Bloody hell , just let the cleaning company deal with it . You're making your own drama out of it

You said nobody's noticed less stock, but who looks at the cleaning products other than the cleaners?

Why has this woman not told her boss, why tell you? I'd report it to the company but do tell them that nobody has noticed anything going missing.

She has told her boss. I said that in OP.

Yes, I've done exactly that. We probably do need a better system for monitoring stock levels.

Don't assume bad intent in either case.
The person who reported may genuinely have seen something and misread the situation.
Is anything actually missing?
Whoever manages the cleaners- make it their problem.

Can I just add that if the woman is stealing and it's biscuits and cleaning products that she's taking, she's probably pretty strapped for cash and is taking the food to eat and the cleaning products so she can work more elsewhere. That obviously wouldn't make it ok but if its found she has actually done what she's been accused of, and you have any control over the situation, please try and handle it sensitively if you can.

"She has told her boss. I said that in OP."

I've just reread it twice and cannot find where you wrote that. I've read all your updates and replies too and can't see any mention of that. You only mention that they are contractors, hence my question.