Hi,
Please I will try to be brief as possible as i can.
I work with a firm that sells construction equipment, and head the logistics and warehouse department. I have this junior colleague that has been with the company for 8years(long before i joined cos i have only been there for 2+ years), he is experienced and good at his job.
But yesterday i caught this guy trying to steal two pieces of 70ah batteries, it really broke my heart because he can not even sell this things for up to 100k. I have tried everything in my capacity to make sure those working under my dept enjoy every benefits that are due to them; from hazard allowance, overtime, and so on. I sign all this allowance without asking questions even when sometimes some of them are questionable. I was doing all this so that nobody has any reason to steal and they have small change to augment their salary.
Personally i hate theft and frown at it and they all know it cos i keep preaching against this at every meeting, and if i escalate this to the management at the HQ in Lagos, he might be sack without benefits after 8 long years and he is a family man.

Though I have scold him and told him he would hear from me by Monday morning, the truth is given the situation I don't know what to do with this guy.

I am really confuse cos i don't even know how long he has been doing this shit.

You can tell management that you doubt his integrity.If they ask what prompted such thoughts, just say that you almost caught him committing theft. Let management decide his fate.....Economy hard doesn't give one the right to steal from your employer.

ProphetofOdin:
Hi,
Please I will try to be brief as possible as i can.
I work with a firm that sells construction equipment, and head the logistics and warehouse department. I have this junior colleague that has been with the company for 8years(long before i joined cos i have only been there for 2+ years), he is experienced and good at his job.
But yesterday i caught this guy trying to steal two pieces of 70ah batteries, it really broke my heart because he can not even sell this things for up to 100k. I have tried everything in my capacity to make sure those working under my dept enjoy every benefits that are due to them; from hazard allowance, overtime, and so on. I sign all this allowance without asking questions even when sometimes some of them are questionable. I was doing all this so that nobody has any reason to steal and they have small change to augment their salary.
Personally i hate theft and frown at it and they all know it cos i keep preaching against this at every meeting, and if i escalate this to the management at the HQ in Lagos, he might be sack without benefits after 8 long years and he is a family man.

Though I have scold him and told him he would hear from me by Monday morning, the truth is given the situation I don't know what to do with this guy.

I am really confuse cos i don't even know how long he has been doing this shit.

Forgive him since this is the first time you caught him in the act. But watch him closely and do well to get some evidence in case he tries something funny...

Give him a second chance. If he tries to steal again,go brutal on him. He deserves no mercy this time.

Please don’t report him yet as even you sef don Dey confused on ur next line of action based on that you don’t want to complicate his life for him. If you report him on Monday and he gets sacked, you might end up feeling bad about your action.

Wetin me go do next b dis, I will call him and have a chat with him outside of the working premises. I will let him know I am doing him a favor by letting him go off the hook but it will be on the condition that he tells you about all the shady dealings going on there with other staffs too and how they do it( might be he is not the only one doing it). Buy his loyalty, make him see that honesty pays, block all the loopholes and you will see someone who will be loyal to you for life.

I have been down this road before, I reported the guy and got him arrested. I later started feeling bad that my decision was too hasty and even after that theft never reduced but the guys under me just got wiser.

Forgive him, but if possible change him to an area where he can't get access to this items he almost stole, but let him know that when next he is caught, he will be sacked.

Pls boss help a brother with a job.

Follow the management policy in this instance. It's there for a reason!

In as much as i also detest theft, i would pls implore u 2 temper justice with mercy. He might be ur best ally now to help u block all other loopholes which u didnt know existed. In essence, use this thief to catch d other thieves.

Abeg forgive him.... Things are so hard

Forgive him but chat with him on WhatsApp save it.in case he try to come up any move that will go against you in future trust me he would be planing something

second chances were designed for a reason.

Depends on the company policy but hear from him why he is stealing, tell him not to steal again abd if it continues report

Why is he still a junior staff after 8 years?

.

I don't understand!!!!
You caught someone stealing and scolded him!!
Does your company not have a code of conduct. There is punishment for stealing, if he knew that and still went ahead stealing.. then he is ready to face the law.

We are talking about your own integrity and your bosses integrity depending on you guys chain of command.

Don't let them practice Voodoo on you o

Op, you are good man and loyal staff for being so concerned. If we have people like you at the helm of organizations Nigeria will progress.

You can give him a second chance but not until you have made him to promise you in writing never to try that again.

God bless you.

This goes on almost every company.

I know of a lady that built and furnished a house with the side money she stole from a factory as an ordinary sales agent.


Fear who never collect.

ajailer:
Please don’t report him yet as even you sef don Dey confused on ur next line of action based on that you don’t want to complicate his life for him. If you report him on Monday and he gets sacked, you might end up feeling bad about your action.

Wetin me go do next b dis, I will call him and have a chat with him outside of the working premises. I will let him know I am doing him a favor by letting him go off the hook but it will be on the condition that he tells you about all the shady dealings going on there with other staffs too and how they do it( might be he is not the only one doing it). Buy his loyalty, make him see that honesty pays, block all the loopholes and you will see someone who will be loyal to you for life.

I have been down this road before, I reported the guy and got him arrested. I later started feeling bad that my decision was too hasty and even after that theft never reduced but the guys under me just got wiser.

At OP I'll advise you to follow this advice

Reporting and sacking him may not reduce the theft going on

As unpolitical correct as it may sound you need one of the thieves on your side to be able to effectively block the loopholes otherwise they will just get smarter

Warn him

Hm

After you don scold am.. Wetin remain?

Give him another chance nau..

Do you have incontrovertible evidence that he stole?

If you do, please forward to HQ. His entitlement is not your business. .

And it makes frontpage twice

Oo

Hmmmmmm
Call him aside, try to find out if he have any pressing issue that made him do such thing.

But please, forgive him

Report asap

Anini I’m the making

I think you should report him to management.

A family man should know not to steal from work. His family is not your responsibility.

If something goes missing in the future (and there are no cameras in your warehouse), he and others might deny the theft, leaving you to be personally responsible.

If you've been telling your team every meeting not to steal, yet this man still stole, what's the guarantee he'll listen to you now? He'll just be more clever in the future.

I know it's hard, but I suggest you report him.

Forgive him with a stern warning.