Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Caught my boss stealing

52 replies

ffsnotthisagain1 · 25/09/2022 16:46

I work in hospitality, currently typing this on my lunch break because I just need to get it out.
Working with my boss today and I saw him take cash from a customer to pay their bill (I didn't see how much cash but I'm assuming about £150). I went on the till and saw that their bill was actually paid off using a deposit from a table from weeks which was still available because they didn't show up. He had cancelled a few items to make it a similar price.
I knew he kind of has form for this but on a smaller scale, not sharing tips, knowing what the prices are for some things so just taking the money and not ringing it up etc.
There was a rumour among a couple of the staff that we didn't have an xmas party because he pocketed the money that was allocated to us for it.
I work for a big chain company and am considering reporting him but I don't know if it would be worth it or who I would even report it to.
I could report to my line manager but a part of me is scared that they are going to split it between them. I know in the past they have under poured on drinks to make the stock, and then when we've made a bottle back they will keep it for themselves.
So part of me feels like if I told my line manager he would just dismiss it/tell the other manager.

Am I just being petty? I feel really angry but I don't know why. I'm not actually bothered about a big chain company missing out on £150-£200. I don't really like him as a person so maybe I'm just frustrated that he's getting all this extra money and I'm wondering how much he may have accumulated doing this type of thing before.

OP posts:
LetMeSpeak · 25/09/2022 18:16

Black male him and threaten to report if he doesn’t give you a raise Wink.

ICanHideButICantRun · 25/09/2022 18:19

I would note down absolutely everything you can. If it was just one thing they might ignore it but if there's a pattern they'd be crazy to ignore it.

newsaint · 25/09/2022 18:22

You must absolutely report this behaviour. Contact HR discreetely - do it outside of work - or many big companies have an ethics helpline.

Its unlikely, but he gets rumbled another way and they find out you knew and didnt say, you could be in bother too.

Backtonormalnow · 25/09/2022 18:23

Would he know it was you eg that you were there the same time and would have been the only person who saw him?

alwaystrainers · 25/09/2022 18:23

I've been there but in x very small place linked to local authority. This woman , let's call her Janice, would take cash from people and stack it by the till (presumably pocketing at some stage ) - always insisted on being on the till every shift and during her break would say "oh ive got loads of charge and ask one of us to give her £10 or £20 note from till. One of us noticed takings were much lower on her days. She was confronted and admitted it but kept her job !

LaQuern · 25/09/2022 18:24

I work for a big chain and yes, we have a whistle blowing policy, you don't have to give your name.

It will help the investigation if, however, you can be specific as possible (include dates etc).

BlodynGwyn · 25/09/2022 18:25

I'd report it because if he increases his stealings he could blame you for it one day. Protect yourself.

TwocksAway · 25/09/2022 18:26

ffsnotthisagain1 · 25/09/2022 17:57

Thanks all. So say I set up a new email address and find out who to send an email too - should I just include this incident today where I saw it with my own eyes or should I give examples of the past that I included in my OP?

Such as our lack of xmas party, if they gave him X amount to spend on it, I can say we didn't actually have one therefore he kept it. And how he will say "that's £5 then please" and if he's handed exact change then won't bother putting it on the system.

Or do I just stick to the facts from today and then if I'm asked more then tell more? I am just worried they'll only take it seriously if they see it's a recurring event.

I would detail the whole lot so they can pull them up on everything, but re today you can at least give the date, time, amounts etc so they will be able to pull the info from the till.

Graphista · 25/09/2022 18:36

You could also alert trading standards to the short measures issue that's also thieving and highly illegal to the point the company could lose licence for that branch/manager (I'm not entirely sure how it works)

Horrible position for you to be in you have my sympathies

blueshoes · 25/09/2022 18:51

Graphista · 25/09/2022 18:36

You could also alert trading standards to the short measures issue that's also thieving and highly illegal to the point the company could lose licence for that branch/manager (I'm not entirely sure how it works)

Horrible position for you to be in you have my sympathies

Then OP will lose her job if her branch does not exist. I don't think she needs to go this far as it would be shooting herself in the foot.

DaphneSprucesPippasClack · 25/09/2022 18:56

Add the facts you know then say you suspect the following and add the other stuff. Say you want to be protected by the whistle-blower policy. Send this to three different people. Hr. The MD or his office. Your managers manager. Ensure that all people the email has been sent to can see all the email addresses it's been sent to. So no one can cover up.

catsnore · 25/09/2022 18:58

Collect evidence if you can. Make sure to protect yourself from accusation. Without evidence it will be hard for them to do anything as he will probably deny it. He may go as low as accusing you of doing it - and everyone you work with will come under suspicion. This can make it very tricky for you...... and is why there are whistleblowing policies - because they want people to speak up and also because it can go horribly wrong when people do. Good luck!

ThinWomansBrain · 25/09/2022 19:00

Find your company's whistleblowing policy & report.

If you don't. any kind of internal investigation (whether kicked off randomly, becaue margins are down at your branch, a customer complaint...) and you could equally fall under suspicion.

Ilikewinter · 25/09/2022 19:09

Sorry you are in this position OP, I would definitely report this to your whistle blowing hotline, personally I would stick to the facts of what youve witnessed as you 100% know that to have occured but I would mention that there has been other suspious circumstances that have caused you and your colleagues concerns.

pastabest · 25/09/2022 19:12

I investigate 'tip offs' about an entirely different sector, and whilst we look into every allegation made those made by current employees who haven't remained anonymous are always acted on very promptly and taken very seriously. Anonymous ones are always a bit trickier and from the word go you do keep in mind d it might be a vindictive ex employee.

But report, however you do it.

Original poster
ffsnotthisagain1 · 25/09/2022 19:36

Thankfully we do have cameras that would prove he's the one taking the payments so I can't be blamed for that - although I suppose that he could say I was in on it with him and we planned to split it or something. He definitely can't turn it around and say I'm the one who did it though because the CCTV will show he's the one messing about on the tills

OP posts:
blueshoes · 25/09/2022 20:04

Seems a little flagrant of your manager to be doing it in front of cameras. Who has control of the footage? Is it recording all the time?

Ilikewinter · 26/09/2022 06:29

blueshoes · 25/09/2022 20:04

Seems a little flagrant of your manager to be doing it in front of cameras. Who has control of the footage? Is it recording all the time?

Whilst it may seem strange to us honest people, the manager will have been doing stuff like this for ages, usual pattern is to start small and as they get away with it the confidence grows, they steal more and get brazen about it.
OP if you do report it you need to make sure you carry on as normal, dont go fishing for evidence or trying to prove other stuff, let your loss prevention team deal with that.

LifeOnATrain · 26/09/2022 06:41

Write down all the details so they are clear for when you report it

Definitely report it as people like him will do anything to get out of a hole when blamed (like saying you were in on it or your line manager was, whether he was or wasn't)

It's good they have a whistleblowing policy - there should be an email or a phone number to call. If you can speak directly to someone it might be easier for you as it's often easier to tell a story than write one and it might ease your anxiety over the whole thing.

Well done for spotting it!

LifeOnATrain · 26/09/2022 06:45

I monitor a whistleblowing line at work - you would be amazed how once someone has got away with it once or twice, they just keep on going thinking they won't be caught. Also if he is in charge of the cctv, you may find they are deleting it more regularly than they should to cover it up but tbh most people believe they will keep getting away with it....

UnderCoverFieldAgent · 26/09/2022 06:51

That’s disgraceful, definitely report him.

neighboursmustliveon · 26/09/2022 06:55

In my first ever job I was interviewed by a manager who it turns out was from head office. I got the job but within weeks I arrived to find a big commotion. It turns out the manager from head office had been sent to investigate rumours of the local store manager stealing.

So head offices do listen and they do, do something about it.

lljkk · 26/09/2022 06:57

DaphneSprucesPippasClack · 25/09/2022 18:56

Add the facts you know then say you suspect the following and add the other stuff. Say you want to be protected by the whistle-blower policy. Send this to three different people. Hr. The MD or his office. Your managers manager. Ensure that all people the email has been sent to can see all the email addresses it's been sent to. So no one can cover up.

I like this. Good luck to OP.

Whatwouldscullydo · 26/09/2022 06:59

Report him. I would be willing to bey that hed quite happily throw you or your colleagues under a bus if he thought fir a second security/hr/area manager was closing in on him. I wouldnt worry about protecting him.

surreygirl1987 · 26/09/2022 07:09

Sorry you are in this position OP, I would definitely report this to your whistle blowing hotline, personally I would stick to the facts of what youve witnessed as you 100% know that to have occured but I would mention that there has been other suspious circumstances that have caused you and your colleagues concerns.

Exactly this. Start off with specific facts and give dates etc. Then you can add a section of your letter which includes suspicions but not facts. Then at the end of the letter revert back to referring to the facts.

I also agree with the poster who said to make clear all the people this has gone to, so nobody can ignore.

Good luck! You are definitely doing the right thing by reporting.

Swipe left for the next trending thread