Caught stealing from job. Help please :(

K

Kobe

New Member
I'm 18 years old. I have been working at this grocery store for about 4-5 months now. My family is struggling financially and my pay checks would go straight to my mom. During my breaks, I would take a snack without paying. I have been doing this for about 2-3 months and haven't been told anything. A couple days ago, The manager called me into his office and confronted me about it. I was then suspended until further investigation. I am scared to death and don't want to be arrested or have any criminal records for this. I know what I did was wrong and I am sick to my stomach, but I don't know what to do with myself. Please help :(
 
Kobe said:
I'm 18 years old. I have been working at this grocery store for about 4-5 months now. My family is struggling financially and my pay checks would go straight to my mom. During my breaks, I would take a snack without paying. I have been doing this for about 2-3 months and haven't been told anything. A couple days ago, The manager called me into his office and confronted me about it. I was then suspended until further investigation. I am scared to death and don't want to be arrested or have any criminal records for this. I know what I did was wrong and I am sick to my stomach, but I don't know what to do with myself. Please help :(
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If you are questioned about this, confronted by an investigator politely decline to speak about it. answer any questions about it, confess to anything, or admit to anything.
No matter what you do now, you're going to be terminated.
If you admit to anything, confess to anything, you make yourself susceptible to criminal charges.
The job means nothing if you get fired and wake up in jail cell, or charged with a crime.
Your record will likely be stained, even if you don't admit or discuss anything.
But, you'll remain a FREE man, not a caged animal.
If I were you, I'd simply resign tomorrow, and never look back.
Sure the cops could still come calling, but you lessen the pain if you don't admit.
You, as do we all, have an absolute RIGHT not to incriminate yourself.
The state must prove what they allege, assuming they charge you.
The employer wants you to confess to make the case better.
They claim to know it all, so keep your mouth shut, resign, and find new employment.
Good luck.
 
But the thing is that when he called me into the office, he asked if I paid for the items. I said I did not because it slipped through my mind and that is when he suspended me "until further investigation" :/
 
Kobe said:
But the thing is that when he called me into the office, he asked if I paid for the items. I said I did not because it slipped through my mind and that is when he suspended me "until further investigation" :/
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Okay, so you simp0ly resign.

No matter what you said yesterday, the day before, stop talking.
Don't go back, and don't do any more interviews, unless you want to help them destroy your life.
Even if they charge you tomorrow (which won't happen), you plead NOT guilty, admit nothing, and request a public defender.
Save yourself, forget the lousy job, and learn from this episode.
 
But they have all my information. If I go in tomorrow to resign, won't it seem more suspicious which will lead them to further investigate? I'm afraid that if I do go tomorrow to resign, they will try to contact me more and then get police involved. I don't know, maybe I'm too scared. I just don't want anything to go on my records because I am going to college soon and don't want this to affect my life :(
 
Also, they might have me on camera as well. He did not say anything about it, but that's what I'm guessing the "further investigation" is for. To check if I have done it before.
 
I am a retail theft consultant and have conducted these interviews. Your job is gone what they want is a confession. Do as instructed resign. If they file a Police complaint same applies answer no questions without a Lawyer present. If they are going to file a Police complaint they will regardless and you don't want to give them info use against you.
 
If you resign, look for another job right away. You can't count on getting unemployment insurance when you quit. If you were terminated for theft, you couldn't count on getting it either.
 
I am planning on resigning. What will happen is what I'm mainly concerned about. I can't afford to have any criminal charges. I can deal with having to pay a fine. But I can't afford to have any criminal charges or anything like that.
 
If they would file criminal charges, get a lawyer's help.
 
If you can't afford to have any criminal charges, don't commit any crimes.

We have no way of knowing what the store will do or whether there will be criminal charges filed, but it is no longer within your control whether they are or not. The matter is out of your hands. Your resignation might or might not affect their decision. You may rest assured that you will be fired if you do not resign. You also should be aware that everything you have read on the internet to the effect that an employer cannot give you a bad reference is false. If you were caught stealing, an employer may say that you were caught stealing. So I wouldn't count on getting any more jobs in retail anytime soon.

If you are charged with anything, call a lawyer. If you cannot afford one, ask for a public defender. But if you are looking for a list of actions you can take that will guarantee that no charges can or will be filed, there isn't one.
 
I have worked in Loss Prevention for a number of years now. The decision to contact Police is likely already made. Nothing you do can likely change that. What you don't want to do is make things worse by giving them a statement. What they want is a confession that is likely all they seek from their next sit down with you. You have no obligation to give them that. They can legally lie to you and make promises they don't intend to keep. If you want to make a deal and they offer you one get it in writing signed by someone in authority to do so. If you resign make no mention of the event or your guilt just tell your employer you are terminating your employment on your own
 
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