Ok so please get ready for a long post (sorry in advance).
So basically for 9 months I’ve worked at a convenience store that also had a small post office counter in there. Never had any issues up to now. So about a month ago there was a girl who had a discrepancy of -£1000 in her post office unit. I didn’t know about it until one of the other girls told me about it as it was obviously kept very hush hush. Anyway I carried on as normal in my day to day work. One afternoon I came in and another girl (not the one just mentioned) was balancing her post office cash before I took over for the evening shift (the counter was open until 9pm). Anyway she has a discrepancy for -£1022, she wasn’t going to say anything but o said to her, I’ll help recount her cash to make sure she hasn’t missed it etc. So we recounted the cash together and couldn’t locate the missing £1022. I said she was going to have to tell the boss immediately to which she did. Anyway I then took over the post office counter with my unit and carried on my day. About a week after this, the auditors turned up (which we knew was going to happen because of the discrepancies). I was off when they came but I got a phone call from my boss saying my post office unit was -£3000! I immediately went to work (albeit very distressed) and tried to help the auditors look for it. He said it has gone from a roller safe that I had some cash in (but very rarely used as it would very often malfunction) that was behind the till area in the shop and also covered by 3 CCTV cameras. He said only I have access to that safe even though the fob for it was in my post office bag (which was never locked just zipped closed) and in a small shared safe in the till room (there were 3 peoples post office bags stored in there) and the key for the safe was hanging on the wall, again not securely locked away or anything and the manager also has a skeleton key.
When I was there with the auditors we checked through the safe and didn’t find the missing £3000. I asked them what would happen next and he said that would be between me and the manager.
The manager told me to leave it to the auditors and go home. I asked him to keep in touch with me when/if they found it as I was very obviously upset about the whole issue.
I didn’t get a message at all so at around 7/8pm that evening, I text him and asked him if there was any update to which he replied ‘not yet’ and that he had to have a meeting with Post Office and would be in touch the following day. I asked him outright if I was going to lose my job and he evaded the question completely.
Anyway, next day came and again, I text him eager for any information. He then said I was to take the rest of the week off (which I haven’t been paid for). I then found out that the other two girls also with discrepancies had remained at their job and were in fact both working that evening. I emailed my manager and explained my concerns as to why I had been told to have the week off yet they were both still working and o felt like the finger of blame was being pointed at me! He said ‘no ones pointing the finger at anyone, but I don’t feel you would be able to work effectively with this hanging over your head’, so I assumed he had done it because I was very clearly distressed when I came in to assist the auditors.
Next day I get an email asking to attend a meeting the following day ‘to work out what we can do now and moving forward’ so obviously, I complied and attended the arranged meeting. This meeting was never disclosed as a disciplinary nor was I shown any evidence to support the allegation and nor was I told I could bring anyone with me etc. I left the meeting 10/15 minutes later without a job.
Fast forward to yesterday where a police van pulls up outside my house and 2 officers come to my door. I let them in because I knew exactly the reason they were here. They have asked me to attend a voluntary interview on Sunday to which I immediately complied and asked to do a voluntary search of my house to which I also agreed. The officer said I can refuse or I can follow him round but I stayed in the lounge and allowed him to look around my house. It was a pointless ‘search’ because he literally walked in each room, looked, and walked back out again. He then asked me to ensure I attend on Sunday and on leaving he said ‘basically, it’s your word against his because there’s no evidence’.
I’m assuming things like CCTV must have already been viewed before coming to my house? I don’t understand why they have still come? Surely they would need to have evidence in order to interview me rather than just go on an allegation? I suffer with sever anxiety and it’s absolutely though th roof right now. I’ve never been inside a police station let alone interviewed under caution.
Surely they have to have me bang to rights to actually do anything? There is no CCTV thy exists of me taking money and putting it on my person because I know I didn’t take that money. I feel like I’m guilty before being proven innocent.
The other two girls both still work there and haven’t even faced disciplinary action for their discrepancies yet I’ve lost my job! I said for a few months prior to all this that I felt like he was trying to push me out. It just seems odd that I have a discrepancy and I lose my job and the police are involved and I’ve been there less than 12 months so I have no grounds for unfair dismissal yet the other two girls who have both been there over 12 months haven’t had any kind of repercussions to their discrepancies (but without evidence, they can have him for unfair dismissal). Should I mention this to thmy police in my interview?!
Help!