Facing dismissal because of a mistake

A question about : Facing dismissal because of a mistake

Hello.

I'm worried sick. I've been suspended from work for a genuine mistake and am now facing disciplinary action and could be dismissed and I don't know what to do.

I've Been in my job for 13 months. I didn't get much training as all the computer systems were changing over the week I was training and the manager who was overseeing me didn't know how to use it himself.

I took on a new deputy in April. He was transferred from another store and has previously worked closely with loss prevention and so I thought he would be good support.

I have been off work for 3 months due to surgery after a car accident. I've been back full time for 3 or 4 weeks. As I've been back the workload has tripled and my payroll budget has been cut resulting in me working 12-14 hour days on top of a 2 our commute each day. I'm exhausted, I'm in excruciating pain and I'm utterly worn out.

Last week my deputy went to the post office with work related post. I asked him to take a parcel of mine as I've not even had chance to get to the post office given the hours I'm working. He had money from petty cash and I said when you get back ill sort out how much mine costs.

When he got back I realised I'd left my purse at home which isn't like me. I told him I'd Have to pay it back the next day and would he please remind me. He said 'I wouldn't bother' to which I replied no ill pay it back, I'm not like that! He said whatever. He didn't mention it again and I've been working 12- 14 hour days since. I totally forgot about it.

On Friday I was investigated by loss prevention and suspended for mis use of company money and failing to pay it back. I'm now facing disciplinary.

I'm devastated and have never done anything like this before. I didn't steal it (Ј10) and I didn't hide it from anyone, I am just so busy and exhausted I forgot.

The deputy has been calling himself store manager to customers in my absence. He has been undermining to me on several occasions.he made a sarcastic comment the night before when I gave the night team some chocolates for their hard work (this is allowed) that he would pay for his as he ain't a thief. Now I wonder if this was aimed at me.

If I get the sack I won't be able to claim job seekers and ill be in a mess. I'm 3 months into a new mortgage with only a very small savings pot. I don't know if I should just resign Under stress.

I know I've made a mistake but I wasn't stealing it was a mistake. Any advice would be appreciated.

Best answers:

• Resigning is the worst thing you could do, it would leave you in a weaker position being able to claim JSA than if you walked out of a job.
  Are you in a union? If so get some advice from them. If not have a look at the ACAS codes of practice on their website and also phone them, the codes of practice set out how grievances and disciplinaries should be handled by an employer.
  Also, get a copy of your company handbook. Was there an investigatory hearing that you were present at? Were you written to and told you were being suspended?
• I'm not in a union. I've researched code of practise and know what to expect. I wasn't told there was an investigation. The head of loss prevention just turned up unannounced, came into the office and started talking to me. He left the room a few times and then suspended me. This was followed by a letter to my home address next day.
• From what you have posted it appears that you used petty cash to pay for a personal function. Is this allowed? Whether or not you intended to pay it back is largely irrelevant if the action is against company policy.
  If it is allowed then you can state it was a genuine oversight on your part and you would of course if asked have paid in immediately, you simply forgot.
  I would be more concerned with your long hours, constant pain and inability to focus on your work and think you need to find a long term solution to this.
• It obvious my deputy reported me. And as soon as it was discussed with loss prevention I paid it back right away.
• Is it allowed to use petty cash in this way?
• I've never been told it wasn't allowed but I'm now told it isn't. But my intention wasn't to use company money as I thought I had my purse with me and could give him the cash before the petty cash was put into the till. I had no idea I had forgotten it.
  As for the pain, I'm seeing a specialist in a couple of weeks. I had my foot crushed in January and its been pinned and plated but I've a lot of damage. I love my job and want to get back to normal. I can handle 9 hour days with reg breaks but not 12-14 with ten minutes all day!
• That's why I mentioned lack of training. I didn't receive any cash procedure training at all. Not even tills or cashing up. I've picked it up as I've gone along. If I'd been informed, I would never have put myself in that situation. I'd have driven to the bank or something.
• If you were never told is it custom and practice that people use petty cash in this way?
  How would you have been expected to know the rules regarding petty cash? Staff handbook?
  Working over 6 hours without a break of at least 20 minutes is against the working time regulations. Separate issue but how are your breaks defined?
• I hope that if this moves to a disciplinary hearing you have a witness with you, even if its a friend or co worker, dont go in alone.
  And you also have the right to appeal the disciplinary decision if there is one.
  If you have a staff handbook it should set out the procedures the company will follow when disciplining someone.
• Not being trained to use the till correctly has nothing to do with using petty cash for your own means, it is common sense to know that that money is for business purposes only.
  That being said were does the company stand on the issue of the 'charmer' who reported you but was actually the one who agreed to use the money for your parcel?
• No it's not custom practise as petty cash is rarely used. I'm the store manager. So I make sure my team get breaks. But when it's so busy and I'm trying to get a break when there is only 2 colleagues in the entire store due to payroll cuts, and the tannoy is calling for help how can I sit on a break?
  I fully accept I'm in the wrong. But I am terrified I will be dismissed. It wasn't malicious or deceptive, it was a mistake.
• Is there a staff handbook?
• You, and every employee, should have access to it and indeed have their own copy.
  That should have a copy of the company disciplinary procedure, if not you should get that too as it sounds as if tour emitters have failed in following the correct procedure.