Theft from workplace by colleague

[JuryMan77]

For a long time (perhaps nievely) I've left a few pounds overnight in a bowl on my desk - generally the change from a fiver or something when I've got a snack from the company canteen etc.

 

For the last few months, money has systematically been going missing. Obviously at first I thought it was just me going mad, but then I actually started really noticing it. I'd even mentioned it to the people around me at our group of desks. It became a standing joke sometimes that I was funding a security guard or cleaners evening meal...

 

The amounts were never huge - perhaps I'd leave £3.48 in there(example), a mix of pound coins, silver and coppers. I'd return the next day to be left with (again, example) £0.88 - the pound coins and most silver removed, but not cleaned out implying someone was trying not to arouse suspicion.

 

Anyway - after this went on for quite some time, the frequency would increase - practically every time I left money in there overnight it would be stolen. I never kept exact count, but always similar to the above example. I got tired of this whole situation, and almost as a joke, bought a motion activated covert CCTV camera, USB powered, looks like a memory stick. Plugged in on my untidy desk, it's unnoticeable.

 

The second night after it arrives I've left it running. Intentionally leaving money in my pot. Not really expecting to catch anyone, but at least I feel like i'm doing something!

 

Low and behold, part way through the night, clear as day, is a thief taking money. Totally visible, good lighting, instantly identifiable. Not from my department but I know the person in question (not a friend, I just know their name).

 

After contacting my manager, I'm advised to contact our security department (I should point out the site I work at has 2,000+ employees), which I do. I send them the video. They refer it on to our HR department. Several days go by, and after prompting from me (and a LOT of questions from them to me (how many times had I recorded, how much ever taken, how frequent, reported before etc) they tell me that they plan to deal with this internally and not involve the police.

 

The purpose of this thread is really to gauge opinion on whether I should contact the police anyway, and if so, at what point in this process. I'm very disappointed to hear they will not go to the police - my opinion is theft is theft, regardless of the value, and this should be done.

 

I would appreciate other peoples views on this.

 

Thanks very much in advance.

[marmaris30]

I think it's common for 'petty' theft like this to be dealt with internally by companies, rather than involving the police, which takes up a lot more of everyone's time and is potentially embarrassing for the management. While clearly frustrating for you, the only actual evidence is your recording and the police are not going to act on a few quid going missing from an unsecured tray on a desk. I'm sure your HR department will cause him a lot more bother anyway, and hopefully you now put your change away somewhere safer.

[Sidewinder]

Absolutely agree. If HR are acting appropriately, the employee concerned is likely to face dismissal, and there is a high probablility that the Police, although they would have to act in some way, would probably get bogged down in the technicalities of whether the recording was lawful in the first place! There is actually a question over the evidence that you gathered anyway, which would rest on whether there is already CCTV in the premises, adequate warnings to staff that their activities may be monitored and for what purpose - if not, then the employee concerned, whilst guilty of theft from a colleague, might decide to ask questions of the ICO about the fact that he was recorded without there being a policy in place!.

 

Nasty business, and congratulations on your detective work, but probably best to leave this to the employer to sort out.

[stu007]

Hi

 

I can fully see why you did what you did but i must through some caution onto this as:

 

Did you have the companies permissions for covert survellience?

What is your companies policy on covert survellience?

What is your companies Data Protection Policy?

 

My concern here is if you didnt have permission from the company to do that recording and can fully understand the company questioning you about any previous time you may have done this.

[Emmzzi]

Why on earth didn't you just remove temptation? People in dire financial need do bad things sometime. You don't know this person's circumstances and not leaving money out would have been far more pragmatic! I do not think this shows you in a good light and I would let it go. You've done enough damage.

 

(You did ask for opinions...)

[MARTIN3030]

I agree with Sidewinder.

Stu007 also raises valid points,there are implications under DPA here.

It would have been better if you had either reported this to your manager earlier,and also stopped leaving loose change on your desk when you first noticed it.

[JuryMan77]

Thank you for the completeness of everyones replies.

 

We have extensive cctv in the company already, and in fact have an entire HR policy on it. I'm not worried about that aspect.

 

Regarding the morality of leaving money on my desk intentionally to catch a thief (or as you call it "temptation"), one could argue the same for bait cars by the police can one not? I wanted to know who was stealing from me - other things have been stolen from the office, and whilst I cannot blame the same person who stole from me with these crimes, it's possible that it IS the same person - one less thief in the office is certainly no bad thing.

 

I have no care for anyones personal circumstances when they are stealing from me I'm afraid - if morally you're prepared to steal from me, you'll steal from someone else. Do the same trick to the whole office and you can bag probably £200 a week tax free. I'd like an extra £200 a week tax free, wouldn't you? Whether the thief needs the money for a kidney operation or a new playstation 3, it's theft. Good riddance.

 

I am in agreement now that you're quite right regarding police involvement - let's keep this issue internal presuming HR do a through and proper job.

 

thanks again for all your opinions!

[MARTIN3030]

Just to expand on the use and management of CCTV.

It may be the case that there is extensive CCTV in your workplace,but there are very strict guidelines.Those who are viewing live or recorded data will have to be appointed and licenced under DPA.

Event logs or incidents should be kept up to date.

There are also rules about siting notices near recording devices.

I dont think that in the actions you took, any of these were compliant.

[Bang!]

Even after your work 'deal' with it you can tell the police. It will be far easier for them as its entirely documented by then.

 

Personally, it would be annoying me if it had made me doubt my own actions.

 

You will probably find out a bit about him once things start at work - so if he's broke with kids let it pass, but if not I'd also be looking for my money back & a good donation to a charity (or web site - wink wink) to prevent starring on Youtube.

[assisted blonde]

I agree with Emmzzi, if you knew money was going missing why leave it out, agreed stealing is wrong but I suppose you have never taken a pen home from work? (thats stealing) You must be so pleased that you will have probably cost someone his job and you could even get them a criminal record as well. Well Done.

There were other ways that this could have been dealt with but IMO it really dosnt show you in a good light, i assume you have never done anything wrong, broken the speed limit maybe? Had a drink and driven a car, been given too much change in a shop and not given it back etc ?

Glass houses and stones spring to mind.

[JuryMan77]

I agree with Emmzzi, if you knew money was going missing why leave it out, agreed stealing is wrong but I suppose you have never taken a pen home from work? (thats stealing) You must be so pleased that you will have probably cost someone his job and you could even get them a criminal record as well. Well Done.

There were other ways that this could have been dealt with but IMO it really dosnt show you in a good light, i assume you have never done anything wrong, broken the speed limit maybe? Had a drink and driven a car, been given too much change in a shop and not given it back etc ?

Glass houses and stones spring to mind.

You're really attempting to convince me and others that I should let a case of theft slide because I occasionally speed on the motorway?

 

In answer to some of your ridiculous comparisons though, no - I've never not given back incorrect change. I've also never stolen from my place of work, a colleague, or anyone else with malicious intent (added the caveat to cover myself from your next ridiculous counter-argument). I've also never drunk driven intentionally and wouldn't dream of it.

 

Your moral compass is obviously pointed in a different direction to mine - and for that, I feel just a little bit of sympathy for you.

 

If I've cost a thief his job then excellent - it was worth doing. One less thief in the office makes a better workplace for the other folk earning an HONEST living.If *I* stole from my workplace, I'd expect to get sacked too - if the thief didn't think of that before stealing, that's their fault and I've no sympathy whatsoever.

[Emmzzi]

Jury, you asked for views. Stop being arsey when you get them.

[JuryMan77]

That's not an arsey comment - I'm sorry you interpreted it that way.

 

If you'd read my first post accurately, you'd have already noticed that I didn't ask for your opinion on the moral issues of the situation, simply whether I should report this to the police or not. I've noted your personal moral beliefs and I disagree with them entirely - however, that wasn't the point of this thread.

[Emmzzi]

That's not an arsey comment - I'm sorry you interpreted it that way.

 

If you'd read my first post accurately, you'd have already noticed that I didn't ask for your opinion on the moral issues of the situation, simply whether I should report this to the police or not. I've noted your personal moral beliefs and I disagree with them entirely - however, that wasn't the point of this thread.

 

And I'm sorry you use fauxpologies.

 

Is it raining up on your high horse?

 

ETA just checked out your signature. Holy mother. Double standards or what!!!!

[JuryMan77]

Not sure I've stolen anything from the banks? Not that it is in any way related to the point of this topic, but I'm getting used to your off-topic posts already... Please provide your name and address so people can come and steal small items from you as it's such a negligible matter to you.

[Emmzzi]

I think you'll find everything of importance to me *is* in my house, not out on my desk at work all night....

[assisted blonde]

i just gave an opinion thats what happens on these forums. my examples were just simple ones to try and highlight that no one is perfect and we all do things wrong occasionally, sometimes intentionally sometimes not, the reason i felt that i wanted to reply is that I do find people who take the moral highground and want to take somthing to the police at the drop of a hat annoy me. I would personally not have spent money on CCTV but would have prehaps made it known that money had appeared to go missing, the culprit may then have felt ashamed etc etc and i would have not have left temptation in their way. If as you said you caught the person on CCTV a word with them may have warned them off and stopped them reoffending, in which case you would have done some good.

As for involving the Police I really think that would be over the top, the amount of paperwork admin that it would involve them in would be disproportionate, and there would be a very real chance that the CPS wouldnt prosecute anyway, and if the person were prosecuted they would get a criminal record and that would make it harder for them to get a job etc etc.

I appreciate that you may have no sympathy for this person but I just think that your actions may well mean that this person who may not have previously done anything wrong is now in a very difficult position and may decide that in future he may as well be hung as a sheep than a lamb.

I am glad that you are such a fine upstanding citizan but I was just trying to point out that no one is perfect, and I am sure we all have done things that are not legal at one time or another.

In law a person who steals a pen from his employer is as guilty of theft as a person who steals 2.00, or a person who shoplifts a TV but there are degrees of how serious most people view it.

[MARTIN3030]

Ok in scenarios such as this,its inevitable there will be a varying range of views and thoughts.

There is nothing wrong with that.

But we expect users to respect other posters views and refrain from flaming or personal insults.

There is no definitive answer here,the questions revolve around how it could have been avoided,stopped sooner,etc etc.

Many have given some input,and each one of those in their own opinion has made valid points.

There really is not a lot more that can be said,until it is known what action (if any) will be taken by the management.

We look forward to updates once that has happened,and in the meantime ask that any personal comments cease now.

[assisted blonde]

I suppose not paying a credit card or a loan back to a bank is stealing from them in some peoples eyes?

[jackieandwayne]

Sadly there are some people like this. They cannot budge, think outside the box, wonder "why? what if...". A terrible place to be in my opinion.

 

When this happened to me at work, I just thought "if someone is that hard up they need my 3 £ coins then they are welcome to it". And never left cash about again.

 

Agreed though, naughty and not nice, but a tad too far re the possible job loss IN MY OPINION. Better to have the humiliation of returning to the workplace. Do they perhaps have stocks at your place of work? (Joking, pulling your leg, by the way.)

[worried33]

I think given that its cash you would extremely unlikely get this resolved. Because money is the sort of thing everyone carries around with them. Your only hope would be if there was a camera footage catching them in the act or a witness. But given now many days have passed unless there is a camera footage I thnik the prime chance for the company to help you has passed.

 

I remember once in a place I worked i accidently left my locker unlocked, someone returned my keys to me (were left in lock) but when I checked the locker my watch was gone. I did report it but my manager refused to get everyone searched on leaving the building saying it was pointless. So I just treated it as a lesson learned.

[honeybee13]

Hi guys.

 

As Martin said earlier, this thread has pretty much run its course for now and is being close.

 

JuryMan, as and when you receive further information, the thread can be reopened. Please contact myself or one of the other site team members if you would like to do this.

 

My best, HB