Often in the convenience store business your most concern is the loss of profit through thievery. Recently, as an assistant manager for a store we encountered just that. The cashier who has been an employee for over three years decided to start her closing routine a little early. Closing out your drawer, breaking it down to leave only $200, and then running a closing report are the last steps to closing out your shift. This employee decided that she'd start breaking down her drawer early and even while customers were still in the store. She started out by making safe drops, her first a $400.00 drop, instead of dropping it into the safe this employee decided to put it to the side to re-count again when she did close. Unfortunately for her, one of the customers saw this and after sneakily watching her every move decided to swipe that entire drop and the $400.00 it contained. Her neglect and lack of following procedures just cost us $400.00.
After receiving the phone call myself I reported directly to the store manager about the entire situation. The store manager then decided that the best solution to this issue would be replacing the $400.00 and having the cashier pay it back with her next paycheck, she said this would save the employee's job. Her idea of solving this problem meant this thief wouldn't even possibly be held accountable for his actions and that the cashier wouldn't be properly reprimanded for her negligence. I was appalled that this would even be an option, that police wouldn't be notified, that the owner would never know, and that no continued investigation would ensue. I couldn't leave it at that. Her immediate and long-term consequences seemed to be the same with the solution the store manager came up with. Basically, after she paid back the amount stolen, we'd never speak of the issue again.
I couldn't leave it be. I decided that I would then take matters into my own hands. The police needed to be notified and the owner should...