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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be happy I've caught her stealing?

56 replies

TentativeWhistleBlower · 17/05/2013 23:37

Cleaner in my place of work is known as a thief. She will however take money, in small quantities with leaves not enough evidence to do anything about even though everybody knows. Recently I left my tips behind the bar in a glass, I knew there was over £10 in it as I had counted it out and thought about changing it into a note, but didn't. Next day, there was only £5. But as there was no evidence as to how much was in the glass in the first place, there was nothing my manager could do. Lots of incidents like this gets annoying.

Alongside this, bottles of beer have been going missing from the shelf at work. One or two bottles every week so that it's gradual and regular. Even after raising my suspicions of our known thief, my manager seemed to think that it was someone else (whole other story, perhaps bullying tbh) and didn't seem to want to investigate the possibility of it being our thieving cleaner. So tonight I go into the office when it's quiet and look through CCTV (I'm in a position of authority that allows me to do this, so wasn't being underhand myself) and after watching about half an hour of sped up footage, I clearly see the cleaner going into the shelf, taking a bottle, unzipping her top and putting the bottle in. Totally clear as day. We're talking about over £100 of stock over the weeks, and I've caught her red handed.

I personally enjoy this because of the fact that she's taken money from me, but aside from that, I have absolutely no time for thieves. It's the lowest of the low IMO

Am I being unreasonable to be enjoying this? :D

OP posts:
trashcanjunkie · 18/05/2013 00:10

ha ha that makes no bloody sense. The turkeys neck was mine!

WafflyVersatile · 18/05/2013 00:14

If you think stealing a few beers or tips when on minimum wage (I'll wager) is the lowest of the low you've surely never encountered a politician.

HoHoHoNoYouDont · 18/05/2013 00:18

Grin @ trashcan

usualsuspect · 18/05/2013 00:19

I loved that ninja thread,wot got deleted.

Not that this thread is the same,like.

StuntGirl · 18/05/2013 03:39

Oh give over, theft is theft and she should be reprimanded. Just because she's poorer than politicians doesn't make it right.

I would try and keep a lid on the cheeriness over it though OP, its just not very classy to take pleasure in others misfortunes, even when they deserve the consequence.

HollaAtMeBaby · 18/05/2013 07:58

YANBU. But maybe try to get another instance of theft caught on camera before doing anything.

fluffyraggies · 18/05/2013 08:11

You can only blame the woman for what she has been actually caught taking. Tread carefully - don't go accusing her of taking money when there's no proof of that.

YABU to be enjoying this.

I've had a few experiences of colleagues being suspected and caught thieving, in different jobs, and it's made me feel sick and sad each time. One of the instances was a member of staff stealing merchandise, another was stealing from the till, and the third was going through handbags in the staff room :(

honeytea · 18/05/2013 08:11

PYabu to be so pleased.

Stealing is wrong but the way you describe thieves as the lowest of the low seems a little bit of an over reaction. What would you class murderers and paedophiles as if stealing some beer and small amounts of money is the lowest of the low?

EhricLovesTeamQhuay · 18/05/2013 08:15

Why didn't it occur to anyone to check CCTV weeks ago when things started going missing?

Jemma1111 · 18/05/2013 08:21

For all we know there may be more than one thief operating at this work place .
But because there is evidence of the cleaner stealing once then she will be blamed for all other incidents .

I wonder why the OP is so happy

Seabright · 18/05/2013 08:31

I can understand e OP's feelings - she's had her own money pinched, other stuff has been taken too and now she's managed to find proof of one incident.

I'd be happy to have solved the mystery (or, at least one piece of it). Or do I just read too many Who Dun It's?

Seriously, other posters would be happy to be regularly stolen from, because the their may (or may not) have unknown problems in their life? Really? We could all make that excuse at some point, but most of use don't.

FarBetterNow · 18/05/2013 08:34

YABU in leaving cash around.
YABU in being gleefull.

At the school I went, we were not allowed to leave cash in our coat pockets in the cloakroom.
It is as bad to leave cash around as temptation to others, as stealing cash. (Catholic Convent teachings!)

When I had a Saturday job age 15, it was my job to clean the loos.

The bitch boss left a £20 note behind the loo as a honesty test for me.
I was a bit naive about such things so just handed it to her, though I did wonder why it was there.
But I wish I had wiped my arse with it first.

ImTooHecsyForYourParty · 18/05/2013 08:35

I too would be pleased that a thief had been caught and action was going to be taken.

I wouldn't be feeling sorry for a thief that they had been caught stealing. That was their choice and they have to face the consequences of it.

pumpkinsweetie · 18/05/2013 08:38

I can see why op is happy! She has caught the thief out, which can only be a good thing.

What I do wonder is why the place hasn't checked their CCTV Hmm

KansasCityOctopus · 18/05/2013 08:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 18/05/2013 09:00

YANBU..she took your tips..!

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 18/05/2013 09:01

But I would agree there are lower than thieves..much lower

Saidar · 18/05/2013 09:13

I've seen staff taking toilet roll home from the staff toilets, that's need and desperation at play, happy to turn a huge blind eye. Buffet leftovers from functions were often divvy'd up between staff to take home for tea.

Beer and tips? You don't need beer to feed your family and tips are often a supplement to someone elses low wage.

If you have the authority to use the cctv make a copy and hand it to the boss and the to police. Stealing from the business is for the boss to decide whether or not he does anything, if you can catch her taking your tips she stole from you and I don't think it's fair for the boss to chose whether or not to take action.

HollyBerryBush · 18/05/2013 09:15

I don't understand why the manager hasn't been through the CCTV.

Advising the Op to go to the police, over the managers head, may well result in her dismissal - I'm assuming its a pub, staff are ten a penny.

HeffalumpTheFlump · 18/05/2013 10:36

YANBU - someone has been doing something completely out of order and wrong and you have caught them. That's surely a good thing?! I previously caught a man stealing the charity box from where I worked by looking at the CCTV, it felt so good!! Why are people feeling sorry for her? Is it suddenly ok to steal from your place of work? Confused I assume she gets paid a wage, why is she above everyone else and doesn't have to pay for beer?

Original poster
TentativeWhistleBlower · 18/05/2013 10:53

I've passed it all on to my manger, who is going to look through it himself and seek advice from his boss (chain pub)

The reason CCTV wasn't watched was because they all seemed to think/want it to be another member of staff, so nobody bothered to with through the hour of footage when the cleaner is in. The reason I looked at it was more to clear the name of the member of staff being practically bullied by people openly suspecting her and making jokes about it.

It was like something from a detective show, how obviously she takes it on camera. There's absolutely no taking out of the fact that she is stealing. Also, the reason why it's likely to be only one thief is that it's always the same product that goes missing.

OP posts:
TheCutOfYourJib · 18/05/2013 11:03

Why did you leave £10 in tips around when you knew there was a thief at work?

musicposy · 18/05/2013 11:09

YANBU and I don't buy all the "poor woman who will now be on benefits" crap. There are plenty of honest people out there who would give their eye teeth for the job.

ProphetOfDoom · 18/05/2013 11:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

HoneyDragon · 18/05/2013 11:15

We're going though this at the moment. But stealing from us has to result in massive consequences. It sucks as we know someone we employ and trust is going to be in a huge amount of trouble Sad

No satisfaction here. Just disappointment and sleepless nights.

Although at least, the person accused has been proved innocent if they were being openly accused and bullied - but that I think is a much more serious problem within the business that needs to be addressed ASAP.