Would you report coworker theft?

[MTG#10]

This guy Ive been working with for the last couple years has been robbing my company blind lately, and does it right in front of me. It started out as just a couple < $10 items here and there, but recently Ive been noticing him taking much higher priced ($20+) things out to his car almost every day. Ive told him before he better stop before he gets caught but he just laughs and says something like "Why are you gonna rat on me?"

This guy isn't a really close friend or anything, but I do open with him every morning and he has been out to my house for cookouts a few times...not for a couple years though.

Its really bothering me, I don't want to be a rat but at the same time this shit is wrong and while I cant stand my current boss I do like the owner and his family. Ive told this guy more than once not to do it in front of me but he doesn't listen.

Should I say something to the owner or live by the rule "snitches get stitches"? He would certainly get fired and he has a wife who cant work and three kids at home so that would bother me as much or more than his stealing. And even if I did say something I don't know how to go about it...I cant do it anonymously because I'm the only one there in the mornings with him so they would know it was from me.

In a tough spot here.

[RustShack]

Tell him you don't want to, but you will if he doesn't stop.

[Tombstone RJ]

Originally Posted by MTG#10

This guy Ive been working with for the last couple years has been robing my company blind lately, and does it right in front of me. It started out as just a couple < $10 items here and there, but recently Ive been noticing him taking much higher priced ($20+) things out to his car almost every day. Ive told him before he better stop before he gets caught but he just laughs and says something like "Why are you gonna rat on me?"

This guy isn't a really close friend or anything, but I do open with him every morning and he has been out to my house for cookouts a few times...not for a couple years though.

Its really bothering me, I don't want to be a rat but at the same time this shit is wrong and while I cant stand my current boss I do like the owner and his family. Ive told this guy more than once not to do it in front of me but he doesn't listen.

Should I say something to the owner or live by the rule "snitches get stitches"? He would certainly get fired and he has a wife who cant work and three kids at home so that would bother me as much or more than his stealing. And even if I did say something I don't know how to go about it...I cant do it anonymously because I'm the only one there in the mornings with him so they would know it was from me.

In a tough spot here.

just start looking for another job. Seriously, you are in a no win situation.

[Tombstone RJ]

Originally Posted by MTG#10

Im not going into details, but our inventory control is non-existent. Our suppliers will deliver us pallets of our product and we wont even check it, we just sign for it and they leave. They could easily be ripping us off too and we wouldn't even know. The product he's taking is miniscule when only taking a small amount, Ive even been told by my old supervisor to grab some when I needed it and not to worry about it. But this dude is taking it to a whole other level...taking case after case of the most expensive shit everyday. Sometimes so much he has to dolly it out to his car. In a way the company deserves it for being so stupid but its still not right.

I think the way I'm going to go about it is to tell the owner he needs to put a camera in the parking lot and have it recording in the morning. Hopefully that will be enough and he'll get the hint.

so, write up a proposal to ownership to START TRACKING THE FRIGGEN INVENTORY.

Or GTFO.

[Randallflagg]

Originally Posted by MTG#10

Im not going into details, but our inventory control is non-existent. Our suppliers will deliver us pallets of our product and we wont even check it, we just sign for it and they leave. They could easily be ripping us off too and we wouldn't even know. The product he's taking is miniscule when only taking a small amount, Ive even been told by my old supervisor to grab some when I needed it and not to worry about it. But this dude is taking it to a whole other level...taking case after case of the most expensive shit everyday. Sometimes so much he has to dolly it out to his car. In a way the company deserves it for being so stupid but its still not right.

I think the way I'm going to go about it is to tell the owner he needs to put a camera in the parking lot and have it recording in the morning. Hopefully that will be enough and he'll get the hint.

I think you just answered your own question. I retired from a company (HUGE company) that had security personnel and cameras EVERYWHERE and, if you were caught, they fired you IMMEDIATELY.

When your supervisor is ignoring theft, what are you going to do? If you still feel it is on you to report this - understand this…usually, this crap will blow back on the person reporting it. Be careful.

Apparently the owner is not concerned with the loss - or he would be more "security" minded.

[Mr. Christopher]

Easy for me to say, not being in the situation, but I'd report him. It sucks, but he made the poor decision to steal, so he's demonstrated that he doesn't the job that badly.

[Eleazar]

Originally Posted by RockChalk

Just PIIHB when you open in the morning. This way when you both get a light jail sentence together, you'll already have that awkwardness out of the way

I had no idea that the H could mean "his"

[ghak99]

I would probably go with the "I think you should be monitoring your inventory better" route with the owner. If you know him personally and like him, there is no reason you shouldn't be able to bring it up in a conversion. Your boss doesn't seem to give a shit so you have no way of knowing you wont be swept out the door with the rest of the mice when the owner eventually finds out anyways.

I know if I was the owner, I'd probably end up canning all three of your asses. He stole, you knew about it without reporting it, and your boss isn't doing the business any good by not keeping track of product in a way that at least prevents theft.

You very well could have already put yourself in a "no win" situation by hiding behind the highschool "snitches get stitches" bullshit. Good luck man, I'd probably start looking for another job just in case the shit flows down hill.

[Iowanian]

Here is a potential outcome.

You say nothing, during inventory the bosses figure out things are walking out, narrow it down to the morning shift as the most likely and fire both of you to be sure, assuming you're in on it too.

Letting them know something is up might make them trust you more and put you in line to move up, and better provide for YOUR family.

[Anyong Bluth]

I'd give him one last ultimatum and say you either stop completely right now, or next time I even suspect that you have taken something I'm going to report it.

His nickel and diming the place adds up and I don't know what business it is, but eventually that can sink a store, not to mention how would you feel if due to budget costs they had to trim employees and they let you go and kept him?

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by Just Passin' By

No, it doesn't. An accomplice is someone who knowingly and actively aids a criminal. Mere inaction does not make one an accomplice.

Hell, feel free to ask the cops on this board about that. There are very few instances in the criminal code where there is a duty to act.

Let me help you out here.

We aren't talking about trying to get a conviction on the employee who had knowledge.

If I have an employee who knows someone has been stealing from the company and ignores it, yea I can fire them too for lack of reporting it.

You are obligated as an employee to report anything that you know is a detriment to the company. At least at any company thats worth a shit.

The cost of the theft to the company could determine the course of action for the employee that was aware, but there would be accountability depending on severity including possible termination.

Would the knowledgeable employee be criminally responsible? No.

And the person stealing is guilty of a crime. In fact you dont have to steal to be criminally responsible. We have pressed charges against employees for purposefully damaging equipment but dropped charges when they agreed to pay for the damage, which also cost them their job.

Almost every time someone gets busted for this type of behavior its because a responsible employee reports it.

Furthermore our companies insurance company pays a $1000 reward to anyone reporting a person who ends up convicted of a crime. This has happened in the past but only once in 13 years.

[Iowanian]

Never trust a thief. If he gets cornered I about guarantee he'd suggest YOU did it.

[Hailchief]

Without a doubt I would

[HonestChieffan]

Originally Posted by J Diddy

I hate to break it to you but knowledge of it and doing nothing about it makes you his accomplice.

This. If he gets caught and you have said nothing, he will implicate you and the boss/owner you like will fire you both as well he should. Come clean and stay employed or wait for the axe to fall and be looking for a job.

[C3HIEF3S]

Originally Posted by Iowanian

Never trust a thief. If he gets cornered I about guarantee he'd suggest YOU did it.

This. I would definitely report him asap.

[Just Passin' By]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

Let me help you out here.

We aren't talking about trying to get a conviction on the employee who had knowledge.

If I have an employee who knows someone has been stealing from the company and ignores it, yea I can fire them too for lack of reporting it.

You are obligated as an employee to report anything that you know is a detriment to the company. At least at any company thats worth a shit.

The cost of the theft to the company could determine the course of action for the employee that was aware, but there would be accountability depending on severity including possible termination.

Would the knowledgeable employee be criminally responsible? No.

And the person stealing is guilty of a crime. In fact you dont have to steal to be criminally responsible. We have pressed charges against employees for purposefully damaging equipment but dropped charges when they agreed to pay for the damage, which also cost them their job.

Almost every time someone gets busted for this type of behavior its because a responsible employee reports it.

Furthermore our companies insurance company pays a $1000 reward to anyone reporting a person who ends up convicted of a crime. This has happened in the past but only once in 13 years.

There's a difference between what a company wants and what's criminal liability. Silence alone does not make MTG an accomplice, which is what was being said.

Now, if I believed that this was a real story, I'd point out to MTG that he was an idiot for posting this on a message board, since that can be traced to him. At this point, were this a real situation, I'd advise of him 2 things:

1.) Turn the co-worker in, as you've gone too far not to. You'll have to hope the owner doesn't can your ass for waiting so long, but that's the corner you've painted yourself in.

2.) Keep your damn mouth shut in the future.