[2pets]

I have been fired due to an assumption. I was told out of the blue that they think I took funds.
We close out our drawers every day at four and write reciepts for over the counter customers.
I was in charge of work flow and taking care of year end reciepting and disposing of old records.
I was told the auditors were coming in to do their 10 year audit and I went downstairs to retrieve the receipt books. Well all mine are gone!
When I would write reciepts I would give the customer a copy and one is supposed to go with the money and one stays in the book.

I admit I should have done some things differently with the ringing in process but my drawer was open to anyone in the office. I had 13 years there and I still don't know how without proof they can charge me. I have been told over and over again to watch my back and I just laughed it off.

This has never happened to me before and I do feel responsible for my drawer and am just sick about this. Any suggestions? If there is one thing I have learned here it is to check my receipt with the money I was given and ring it in directly in the morning.

[excon]

Hello 2:

Ok, what do you want to do about it? More importantly, what are THEY doing about it? Most important of all, what are they going to say to a prospective employer of yours?

They can fire you. You have NO rights in that regard. If they charge you, either criminally or civilly, then we'll deal with that then. Right now, you need to guard your reputation.

I don't know what you want to do. Tell me. I'll help.

excon

[ScottGem]

If all they did was fire you, then you have no recourse. They usually don't have to give a reason.

If they press criminal charges, then that becomes a whole different matter. If they do, and you are acquitted then you might have grounds for a civil action against them.

[shygrneyzs]

I had a boss who that happened to. I was her assistant manager. Her and I closed the store that night and we rang through the register, counted, everything was even, and she placed the deposit bag in the floor safe. We both left at the same time. The next morning, I came to work and there was the regional supervisor, telling me that my boss no longer worked there. They accused her of stealing the previous days money so they fired her.

It was a shame, because they did not have to prove it to make the accusation. Two days later the regional supervisor "found" the money and she already brought in someone new to be the manager - her protégé from another territory who wanted to move up. I left shortly after being told the reason I could not be manager was because I was married and in the corporate philosophy married women did not make good managers. Apparently women become pregnant, have a family, then the family becomes an issue.

You could called the EEOC and file a complaint. However that may not do anything to help you. Hope you find a new job and have learned the lesson about watching your back.

[2pets]

I am filing a rebuttal with the union. My nerves are shot and I have never been through this before. I know my job was wanted by at least a couple of ladies. I always got flack when I did my job.

The bottom line is innocent people get the shaft everyday and I may very well be one of them. What is boils down to is my word against theirs. My supervisor never let me forget that anything that went wrong was my responsibility even if I did not do it. I am torn and I do feel responsible.

And Because I was in charge I should have been more observant. I should have done things differently, which I have heard they now are doing.

Should I take responsibility and offer to replace the missing funds?

[ScottGem]

Bottom line, if it's a he said/she said deal, not sure how far you will get.

[phillysteakandcheese]

Why would you offer to replace money you never took? To me, that would imply that you are connected to the theft more than you've previously indicated. You may be responsible as the manager at the time, but unless you did the crime don't confess to it!

You can't stop what they think, and you can't stop them from firing you for being suspicious of you in this theft.

You can hire a lawyer to see what legal recourse there is, or at the very least to put pressure on them to give you a severance package for your 13 years.

[RickJ]

Moderation Note: 2pets, I moved your follow-up note into this "thread". To respond, just type in the white box below the last response, then click the Post Quick Answer button below the box.

[shygrneyzs]

I would not offer to replace funds I did not take.

[2pets]

I thank you all for the help and I will keep you informed as to what the outcome will be.

[user812]

Why offer to replace funds unless you really did take them? Innocent people don't offer to fix something they didn't do.