I'm thinkin that you put the camera in without anyone knowing - get some video on a tlvcr or whatever is most current these days. THEN have a meeting "show & tell" everyone about the camera you are now installing. This way she/they may stop on her/their own without a confrontation. It may also give her a chance to save face (if thats possible), yet you also have what you may need in the future should the need arise.

Yeah, if you do want to keep her, the camera is reasonable. I see why you need to keep her, as well. It kind of sucks though, that you have to turn into Big Brother as a way of calling her on her dishonesty.

My guess is a direct confrontation, no matter how diplomatically done, would just put her on the defensive and she'd leave anyway, probably out of embarrassment disguised as outrage.

Good luck to you, ducks.

Better to catch her red handed, press charges, discredit her, and make her fess up to how much she pilfered, and have her make restitution.

I wouldn't tip my hand, she'll just figure out a work around or will storm off in a huff and slander you for implying she had anything to do with it. (That's what she told me in her email at any rate.)

Buy the camera and let everyone know you are installing it. Any questions?... say your till balance has not been balancing correctly and your business insurance recommended (insisted?) on a camera installation in case customers were accessing the till when everyone was busy.

This points no fingers at any employees but will certainly keep them honest after the installation. Perhaps also check the appointment books, or implement a system to check and justify, to be sure the clients' money is going into the till.

*I worked for a grocery store before I married who had a closed-circuit camera 'filming' the cashier section of the store. It was fake. It was a camera housing with a small light (to indicate recording) that was plugged in to appear "on". Deterrent for the customers, since the employees knew about it. You don't have to let your employees know it is fake...
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Would you like me to strip search all the employees at the end of each day?:blush:

The problem with letting your employees know you are installing security cameras is that you are just telling them to figure out a new way to steal. It won't stop them from stealing and it won't suddenly make a dishonest person honest. One restaurant I worked at had a single cashier who made change for the waiters, any shortages were the responsibility of the cashier. Can you have all transactions flow through one person? Even still, you want to out the rat. IMO

Disclaimer: I don't operate a business.
My thoughts are that a security camera that is aimed at the shop register and door may reduce insurance premiums, and that would be a friendlier way to accomplish the monitoring you need to stop or prove stealing from the register. An alternative - and the reason for the disclaimer - wouldn't numbered receipt books serve to document the money that should go in the register? Each customer is given a statement to pass to the cashier, and you have a record of how much money should be in there and a way to track misdirected funds.

I still think installing the camera "on the sly" is the way to go - then let then know its there after you've got some good footage.

I think you should make her a partner in the business.

That's how the US government would handle it.

HA!

Duck,

I'm sure you have thought about the possibility that if you implement procedures to stop the missing cash flow, that you also inherent the possibility of your "fair haired child" leaving anyway - possibility due to the demise of her "extra" tip fund.

Several different ways to handle this situation. The camera idea is good. Limiting access to the til is good. Mentioning it to her without making her too paranoid is good.

It sucks when one of your best is possibly tipping the til. Good luck to you.

That's why having the camera installed beforehand and having video of her being "dishonest" would be beneficial to have. . . just in case.

You could hang her maggot dripping body from the sign outside, as a warning.

Hmm... do you think that might bother the customers? :confused:

You have to catch her and hang her out to dry. Perhaps even prosecute. Like the others said, she'll just find another way if she knows the camera is there -like ali's acquantance who just didn't ring up some cash sales.

Things kinda turned to shit this week....

We have a nail/wax lady at work, she doesnt work for us, but she rents space.

Anyway, the stealing bitch (SB) was making noise to her clients and to the nail lady that *someone* was stealing and we were *onto it*. Nail lady decided to take it upon herself to be our eyes as her desk is positioned perfectly to see all.

She and another of our senior cutters saw SB take money from the till, so nail lady tells my partner and we implement some changes (take excess cash from the till, limit her exposure and opportunity etc) and I order a nanny cam thingie.

SB and nail lady have been friends forever, and SB asks nail lady whats up, since she has been getting the cold treatment for a couple of days. Nail lady walks SB outside and says, "you know whats fucking wrong, youre disgusting, you should be ashamed of yourself".

The younger girls ask what went on and are giving some bs story from SB about how nail lady accused her of stealing from the till, when she was really replacing a $5 note that she had to put in earlier to make change.

This was yesterday, today, I spend the day in the shop and SB hasnt spoken to anybody....SB actually made a point of saying (to a client, so I could hear) that she would be handing in her notice, as she thought it was *rude* that people were accusing her of stealing. She hates the changes that have been made...(the only change made is my partner is the only one that really handles the money)...and that she cant work like this any longer.

She's gonna walk, but her clients can be replaced and we have realised that a lot of them are relatives who dont pay a hell of a lot anyways.

*sigh* give me 11 blokes to work with any.day.

I just tell them to fuck off and throw staplers and things are all good.