by Laurel
(Savannah)
I’ve never been written up or had any problems at this job before. I worked on a boat that has three levels and uses an AZBar system instead of a POS (meaning you have to have a key to turn the register on or off…and the only people holding keys are managers). I was working on the third deck and when the shift ended, I was bringing my drawer to the first deck to count it out when one of the managers asked me to bartend on the second deck. He was in a hurry and had left the deck before I realized he had not turned the register on. There were already people waiting at the bar so instead of chasing after him, I set the register below the bartop, on the sink, and began serving. The only people permitted behind the bar are the bartenders. I assumed that the money would be safe, since no one would know it was there unless they came behind the bar. However, on this day, the buffet attendants repeatedly came behind the bar to fill my ice for me, which they typically do. Towards the end of my shift, I picked up my drawer to start counting it and close to $200 was missing. I informed the managers on duty what had happened and they detained the attendants (the one I suspected of taking the money is the managers little brother) after the shift for a maximum of ten minutes but then let everyone leave.
Hi Laurel,
Were you fired for violation of the “cash control” policy or rule?
It goes without saying that a violation of this kind of policy whether intentional or not may be seen as misconduct if you signed acknowledgment of receipt of the employer’s rules. The harm it caused to the employer is obvious.
The rule usually carries some language that says immediate termination is a possibility, thereby bypassing the usual “progressive discipline”.
It would be more helpful to me if you could let me know exactly what the employer stated on the termination notice and if you made any comments on it as well.
I think I know exactly how an employer would approach the whole issue, so I’m trying to figure out whether your decision to not complete the task of counting your drawer before you began the bar tending duties on the second deck is the problem here. I also am a little unclear about where you were putting the receipts from the bar on the second deck, if the employer did not turn it on?
And since you did report this in time for the employer to investigate the other people that were behind the bar .. what was the employer’s conclusion.
Did you let them know who you suspected of taking the money? And if so, what was done.
You need to find a reasonable argument to counter the employer’s argument that your failure to follow the policy resulted in harm to the employer’s interest. I’m looking for something you can use to shift the burden back to the employer.