What would you do?

sumone

sumone

down the rabbit hole
MBTI
infj
One of my co-workers is a thief.
I am in charge of the inventory at work and started to notice that things weren't adding up. I mentioned it to my boss and she brushed it off saying I must have miscalculated.
Soon after I noticed my co-worker walking out with something and I questioned him about it. His reply? "shhhh don't say anything, nobody will miss it and I want it."
One Friday I did a complete inventory and Monday morning I did a recount and found I was off again. I casually asked him if he'd been in on the weekend and he said yes.
I mentioned to my boss again that my numbers were different and suggested that we might have a thief. She got all indignant and brushed it off again saying I must have been mistaken.
I did a quick calculation and figure he's cost the company at least a few hundred dollars over the last few months.
All of a sudden he's all about E-Bay and as soon as he gets a few moments he's on the computer checking his account.
I found the e-mail address he's using but couldn't access his account due to privacy restrictions. But I'm sure he's selling our stuff! Does anyone know how I could get on his ebay account?
This is really, really bugging me! I know what he's up to but have no solid proof.
I talked to someone I trust at work and she said, "Yeah he's a slimey little bastard but you better keep quiet or he'll make your life a living hell."
I wish I could just look the other way or shrug it off but I can't, it's driving me nuts.
And did I mention he's my bosses son?
 
Go over your boss's head. If you bring your suspicions to the next up the ladder, they can set it up to catch him in the act. You endanger yourself because if they do catch him, they will wonder why you didn't notice it, or in the worst case scenario, you may be the one accused. If your suspicions are baseless, then the higher ups should still appreciate that you are keeping an eye for their interests and they shouldn't hold it against you. Also, record everything.

Now if your boss is the top man, then I would begin looking for a different job.
 
I think I might have to look for another job because the only other person higher up than my boss is her husband, the thief's father; it's a family business. :( I like my job but like you said I have a funny feeling I might end up as the scapegoat for the whole nasty business. Man I wish someone would make this guy accountable, it drives me nuts.
If I blow the whistle with my flimsy evidence I might as well kiss my job goodbye and if I stay quiet it'll bite me in the ass. So basically I'm up the creek.
 
sumone said:
I think I might have to look for another job because the only other person higher up than my boss is her husband, the thief's father; it's a family business. :( I like my job but like you said I have a funny feeling I might end up as the scapegoat for the whole nasty business. Man I wish someone would make this guy accountable, it drives me nuts.
If I blow the whistle with my flimsy evidence I might as well kiss my job goodbye and if I stay quiet it'll bite me in the ass. So basically I'm up the creek.
Click to expand...

Yeah, if it were me then I would get my butt out of there. But make sure you inform the top boss of the real reason why you are leaving once you are out of there. And make sure you still record everything, with dates, times, etc. so if someone tries to pin it on you, then you have something.
 
Actually, you don't need into his account, you just need his account name. Then you can scan eBay for the items he's posted. And I think you will still be able to see what he has sold (closed auctions as well).

For your own piece of mind, match it up to the inventory missing items. Make a list if you want.

But meanwhile I would be looking for another job. Did you ever see "Road to Perdition"? In family businesses, blood speaks louder than common sense or money. You don't want to be the punching dummy in-between a family spat, where you are most likely going to end up being collateral damage.

If you want to go out with a coup de grace, you can resign once you have a new job and include a list of your missing inventory items along with the son's eBay auctions, as part of the reason you're quitting. You could even mention it as a point of honor for your next job interview(s) -- that you loved where you worked, but one of the employees was stealing and you weren't getting support from management to fix the problem and couldn't work there anymore.

I hope it works out for you.
 
Thanks Satya and Jenny. Well I think you're both right, because of the family dynamics it's a no win situation for me. He's such a toxic personality and I hate having to watch my back all the time. I asked him once if he has a conscience and he thought for a second and then said, "Well ... yeah .... I guess I do but it certainly doesn't bother me." That pretty much says it all.
 
Jeez. Sounds like the dude has antisocial personality disorder. Violating the rights of others while manipulating them to benefit himself. It wouldn't surprise me if he comes off as very charismatic half the time too.
 
:D AntiSocial Personality Disorder sounds a lot like my ESTP mate... except he uses his manipulation to sell his software, to get laid and other benefits...

It's only when they commit crimes that people tend to look at psychological disorders as reasons, instead of this is what people do.
 
I don't really see a big problem here, aside from your discomfort with the situation. It is a family business, and if both parents are complacent, there's nothing that can really be done about it. The number one question I have right now is whether the husband would be concerned, in other words, the top of the pyramid. If he would be, then there's something that needs to be done. If this is something he would be interested in, I would consider drafting a memo requiring his "assistance." Leave accusations out of it and let it come to the realization by himself through the course of assisting you, this will leave you in a neutral position. However, you have already gone to the mother, and she will already be suspicious of you, as will be the son. It's your risk to play, you will have to position and hedge yourself carefully. This can make underlying family conflicts surface, and you are within reach of its impact. If you do follow through, prepare for the worst case scenario and start looking for another job. Position yourself and hedge carefully.

Another option is to gather concrete evidence if showing the husband discrepancies in inventory will not be enough to shine light on the thefts, this will also better protect you, but is no guarantee.

Do you have any other details you can share with us?
 
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