Employee claiming hours on her day off while working a full day elsewhere

[dodgylady23]

I manage one staff member. She’s casual and until recently another person (friend of hers) was signing her timesheets off.

For a number of reasons, not least of which being this employee is hopeless and has an attitude problem, I suspected something fishy with her timesheets so had them (rightfully) signed over to me.

She works four days with us and one day elsewhere. I had to insist multiple times that she add this regular day off to her calendar to indicate she was off. I’ve approved a few of her timesheets now, but just noticed she has claimed to have worked six hours for me on the day she works a full day elsewhere - her agreed day off from here.

Queried this with her only to have her get very defensive and claim she had urgent work to do here so managed to do both. She mentioned working on one thing (not at all urgent and a quick task) and “other bits and pieces”. She said she would send through evidence of her work if need be.

1. I didn’t authorise her to work on that day
2. This “urgent” work could have waited until the next day, or any number of days in the weeks ahead before it became urgent.
3. It’s impossible to work two jobs simultaneously.

AIBU to outright reject those additional hours and give her an award for biggest pisstaker of the year?

You’ve done the right thing, keep refusing.

Putting things in writing is so much stronger in terms of paper trail. Could you send him an email to declare your position, stating the reasons why? Include his response (objectively and calmly) and then state why you will not be signing. cc your boss and then wait for him to return.

Do you have any HR support? Any freedom to speak up guardians that can help you? Union is a good idea.

If she's wfh in both jobs that day can she say she is working, eg 6am to 12 for you smd then 1pm to 9pm for the other employer?
I'd be getting IT to verify her login times before going further.

And putting it in writing is a really good move - I would confirm in an email what happened (as objectively and dispassionately as you can but mentioning the strength of his insistence you sign the time sheet) and that you are not willing to take any further action until your manager is back.

FWIW, I would expect people doing overtime regularly to check in with me about why, and ask permission to do so. If she has to do overtime often, I would question her capability to do the job. As for logging on, although I hate the idea, in the past we have obtained detailed breakdowns of not only when someone logged on, but what they were doing. Had a piss taker who claimed to be working because she was logged on for a particular day - but when you drilled down it was obvious she logged on then did nothing until she logged off however many hours later. Hate to get to that level of detail, but I work in the public sector, so it is public money she was ripping off.

It's interesting that he's refused to sign them off - he presumably doesn't want to be implicated in fraud either. I'd do as the above poster says and get a paper trail, documenting your last two interactions with the deputy manager, explaining why you can't sign the sheets off (fraud), and copying in your boss and HR.

HR are not the manager's personal attack dogs!

Wow that's absolutely shocking!! I wonder what the story is between the 2 of them that's causing him to behave like that. Maybe she has blackmail on him?

Either way I'd write out a summary of your meeting and email it to him to sign and confirm what was said. You need it in writing.

I'm in awe of your strength OP. Well done. Please look after yourself and document EVERYTHING. Send copies of evidence, emails etc. to a private folder or secure drop box. Basically act as paranoid as possible. There is something going on and you could be caught in the crossfire.

Good for you !

As suggested, get a paper trail.

I'm not really understanding why this is all being handled in the way it is.

Is there no HR department? I'm just wondering why it hasn't been handed over to HR for investigation?

It is not standard to contact HR and advise that you have noted X issue and want a review of time worked verses logged on time sheets? Cross check log in details, annual leave, sick dates etc.

There may also be a case against the second employee too.

I feel like we don't have the full story here. It doesn't add up. I feel like you might be out of a job soon.

I reported my boss for fraud and I got sacked. I took them to a tribunal and won a year's salary.. The boss who committed the fraud "resigned" before the hearing.

Have you seen her contract? Does she have the right to work whenever she wants? It wouldn’t surprise me if she does if she is a contractor and not an employee.

I also agree with him in that if she is screwing over her other company by working your your company on their time then that’s not your concern.

Are you able to see that she has worked in the timesheets she has submitted that you are being asked to approve? Regardless of whether it needed to be done on the weekend, her official day off etc or not. If so, approve the time sheets.

There are legal and tax implications to treated contractors like employees. I imagine in the investigation these issues were raised. If you were not involved in the investigation then you are likely not in procession of the full facts.

Just focus on your part in the process and nothing else. Did she work the times that are on her time sheet that you are now being asked to approve?

Since you have defied him and refused to sign the timesheets, what if he decides to suspend you until your manager returns from holiday? Men like that don’t like not getting their way. As others have said, copy (or print) all relevant documents to a non-work email

Either she's sleeping with him, has dirt on him or there's something missing from this story.

Or he's doing something similar? Overtime? That he doesn't want to have a light shone on.

Sounds like he’s been playing the same game. I’m guessing a lot of people are going to be wearing brown underpants in your work @dodgylady23. Do you think your boss has genuinely gone on holiday or is looking elsewhere/covering tracks. I would ensure that HR knows you are looking into some serious financial misconduct with every likelihood of legal consequences and if proof of employment or references are sought by staff members for the first twelve weeks of the year, you need to be informed.

Could be. But why won't he sign the damn things off?

When’s your other boss back from leave?

You did the right thing. The fact that this supposedly senior person is getting so irate about it suggests they are complicit in some way. Hard to imagine why they wouldn't sign off the timesheets if they were so adamant about it all being OK. So why should you.

Stick to your guns, OP, and keep notes on everything.

Have you kept a record of every discussion you have had about this and circulated it? If not, do it now.

Wow. OP, you need to cover your ass here. Write the facts of what happened down, confirmed why you wouldn't sign the sheets even though directly instructed too, and also that he wouldn't either.

Possibly post in legal for advice.

Yup he knows it’s fraud and what’s you to sign off in it so they can then blame you and sack you.

Id send an email to boss saying you were asked twice to sign off on the time sheets by X but you do not feel you can do this.

Or email deputy saying as per the meeti today where he wanted you to sign them you cannot.

I’ve that feeling too

Years ago, one of my old housemates did something similar. He fabricated timesheets to claim overtime for hours that he hadn't worked. It had gone on for a long time, and it transpired that he'd been paid nearly £5k in overtime. He was sacked for misconduct, and had to pay them back X amount per month.

Are you a member of a union? It might help to have someone supporting you. I would also email him and ask him to confirm in writing his justification for why you should sign her timesheets and let him know it’s so you can seek guidance from your union rep or a solicitor. I’m sure he won’t be keen to put it in writing and might back off

It really sounds like there is some piece of the puzzle missing unless your boss on holiday is for some reason setting you up

Very good advice from everyone above to make a detailed written record