Theft at Work; Department is Under My Supervision

My fellow friends,

I have a little problem here in my place of work.  It happened today.  There is this department, Catering department which is under the supervision of my office.  They  have a boss but the whole department is right under my supervision.

Theft is a serious offense offshore, it's a sack-able offense.  These guys in catering department have been engaging in this act, that is taking provisions, can drinks, can food and many assorted food items and fish.   

In April this year one of my co-workers called my attention to some items which were kept  somewhere by an unknown individual. Those food items if sold will fetch about fifteen thousands naira.   I carried out my investigation, ready to take the matter up, but the guys in this department begged not to report the matter. They were postrating and come to think of it some of them are older than I.  So I let the matter go. 

But now today, a bigger one was found, kept in another place entirely, now it's inside a cabin. This time the items are thrice the former. The items are right in my office.  These guys are here begging again.  If I report them to the management of which I am one, they would not be called to defend themselves before a decision is taken against them which is outright dismissal.

I have tasted suffering before; I know what it means to be jobless.  What shall I do?  The last time, I returned the items back to the store without letting anyone knew except these guys and I.  Now, they have done it again. It's annoying me but I won't want them laid off.  Please, advise me on what to do now.   

I am standing by.

Sade thank you.
If I tell them now that theft is demonic they will jump at me and call me demonologist.

Man mi..

Is it worth the risk to your name and position trying to cover up for people who obviously haven't learnt their lesson??

You need to ask yourself what is important.. being seen to be good in people's eyes?? or having a clear conscience..

You say you've tasted unemployment before.. believe me, if u do not act decisively, you may be positioning yourself to taste it again... at your own expense..

my only advice here is to try and identify the actual curlprit, lest any innocent victim be affected..



my two kobo..

Saint.

Kenya..

It's already happened before... So, there's no need in talking to the person.. the person's already been spoken to.. [GP shey ]..

If stock is taken it doesn't concern me in any way because I don't have the key to the stores.
They have an immediate boss who holds the key but he does give the key to these boys especially those attached to store work. I've no business with store or the items there.

But the entire dept. is under the supervision of my office.
Even with this if the authority get to know about it, it might affect their immediate boss and not me.
I don't hold the key to the place.

Their immediate boss isn't around now.

And even if I tell him, he will beg me not to take it up.

He doesn't want to be seen as if he's not doing his job well.

He protects his people. He has once told me he didn't like sacking people.

And since he's a white guy his people will always rally round for him.

They have a clique. I've had confrntations with this guy and I would have sent him out of this location but even the overall boss pleads on his behalf.

I feel this people might put you in trouble very soon if you do not make it open.

(Put this behind your mind till that day) Wait til you have a personal problem known to them all and you are afraid to leak it out to the authority in charge

I'm treating the matter right now.
I've told them to produce ths culprit within 24hrs.
If they are not able then they will all face the music.

But it's weeping galore here right now.

Though there is a suspect already.

Both the innocents and the culprit are yelling!

Thanks you, my friends, for reminding me of the reason why I'm determined to be an entrepreneur and not an employee.  What a story!  Why should I have to be weeping because one of my colleagues stole some food items worth about 15,000 naira?

To me, that is not dignified at all.  What I'd do as a manager is to implement sufficient security to deter crime and make it easier to single out the culprit.  Anyway, Greatpeter, I hope this situation ends well!

well Great peter,you've solved this mystery you know,first of all those involved have been warned the first time so i don't think you should take any chances you know that in this country now we are trying to fish out bad eggs and employ the people that really want and deserve to work those that will value this job they have been given to do and this can only be possible with the likes of you and I actively participating the Government can not do this alone.

Secondly,you do not hold the keys to the store so the person responsible for the store you say is your direct boss, I think that you should let him know what is going on so that he can take precaution maybe he won't even dismiss them from work but he will collect the keys from them so they would not have access to the wares again but if you do not let your superiors know only God knows who will find the things next time and what the culprits will say to be able to go scout free they might end up implicating you just to keep their jobs.

My brother even the bible those not support you hiding evil, finally I'll say to obey is better than sacrifice.Think about it and I pray you take the right decision.

Dorcas.

Funny sha, i taught offshore workers, earned in dollars daily. Wonders shall never end.

well said cimonjarr, my sentiments exactly

first rule of any office CYA!!!!!!

never forget that!!

especially a office with cliques!

members outside the clique will always get shafted first!

you warned these guys once, why bother again?

I once sacked a nigerian woman in similar circumstances but I did not feel bad about it becuase I warned several times but she thought because we are both nigerians I would let it slide.

No way, no one is endangering my job just because you happen to speak my language!

Vieira, well in my company middle-level managers will not be at liberty to pardon, hire or fire as they please (to cover their asses - CYA).  I'll be an absolute control freak in the two areas that matter the most to the success of the business:
- Hiring / Employee management.
- Customer Relations / Marketing.

Ok, back to the topic at hand.  Greatpeter, what action have you taken so far?

I have returned those items back to the store and I've not been able to identify the culprit but there is suspect.

I have directed their case to their immediate boss.

He will give his findings and verdict tomorrow.

I directed him to handle it and then feed me back.