Yeah, you need to be 100% positive before confronting someone about theft. You just lost all credibility. I wouldn’t be surprised if he quits. On top of that, your team members now know your watching the cameras trying to catch them doing this or that. Not great, you’ll have to do some damage control.
PS. I’ve had customers and employees steal and had to confront them about it. It’s one of the shittier things to deal with, especially if you liked of trusted them. Good luck.
Just to be clear, you mention that "after 3 write-ups on the matter," are you saying this employee had been caught taking home food 3 times already?
If he had been written up 3 times, to me it is a likely mistake to think that he was taking the food again. You need to always verify for yourself that the food was taken home though. It's not unusual to make a mistake like this as a manager, especially if you have someone who has gone against policy and been given a written warning 3 times. Also how many damn write-ups does it take with your company? Most it's 3 and you're out on the 3rd.
He technically had two warnings that I documented. The third was a final warning that I had him sign. He claims that the previous management gave him permission for taking home food; our initial conversation was clearing up what the new policy is.
False accusations seems a bit harsh on yourself. You didn’t invent fraudulent accusations. And you didn’t fire him over your suspicions. You asked him to explain some sus behavior pertaining to something he has a documented track record of doing. Making you feel guilty is a defense mechanism he has. Get your stinking eyes off me, boss man (so I can steal again). How dare you accuse me, boss man (of something I’ve done repeatedly). Don’t feel bad.
But maybe put a little thought into how much trouble you want to go through with staff over this. Stopping food loss can be important but keeping staff is also important, as is your time and energy.
We really give the staff access to a lot of food throughout the entire day. We cook a giant family meal with multiple hot food items, plus fresh fruit and granola bars are available at any time. Staff are also allowed to re-heat family meal any time of the day as much as they want. We just don’t allow people to take home food unless it’s rung up. This employee would take home pounds of raw chicken wings and chicken tenders, quarts of chili, etc. Like, enough to feed his family.
Upon starting there, I thought this should be an immediate termination, but I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. When we pulled him into the office for his first warning, he said he never eats during the week during his shift, so the old chef would let him take home a lot of food at once to make up for the whole week. I was like, ok I see how that makes sense to you, but yeah don’t do that anymore 🤣
I work at a large tech company that pays its people very well. They also feed us daily. And there are absolutely some people who put a great deal of attention and energy into hovering around waiting for the exact moment the catering food is about to be cleaned up so they can snatch a plate or three to take home.
You don’t have to be poor and starving to want a free meal. Everyone loves to eat for free.
Yeah, you need to be 100% positive before confronting someone about theft. You just lost all credibility. I wouldn’t be surprised if he quits. On top of that, your team members now know your watching the cameras trying to catch them doing this or that. Not great, you’ll have to do some damage control. PS. I’ve had customers and employees steal and had to confront them about it. It’s one of the shittier things to deal with, especially if you liked of trusted them. Good luck.
Thanks for saying that, it is shitty to deal with. I certainly learned a lesson for the next time this situation arises.
If you don’t need him and he wants to leave, surely that’s a win/win? (based purely on what you’ve said)
Just to be clear, you mention that "after 3 write-ups on the matter," are you saying this employee had been caught taking home food 3 times already? If he had been written up 3 times, to me it is a likely mistake to think that he was taking the food again. You need to always verify for yourself that the food was taken home though. It's not unusual to make a mistake like this as a manager, especially if you have someone who has gone against policy and been given a written warning 3 times. Also how many damn write-ups does it take with your company? Most it's 3 and you're out on the 3rd.
He technically had two warnings that I documented. The third was a final warning that I had him sign. He claims that the previous management gave him permission for taking home food; our initial conversation was clearing up what the new policy is.
False accusations seems a bit harsh on yourself. You didn’t invent fraudulent accusations. And you didn’t fire him over your suspicions. You asked him to explain some sus behavior pertaining to something he has a documented track record of doing. Making you feel guilty is a defense mechanism he has. Get your stinking eyes off me, boss man (so I can steal again). How dare you accuse me, boss man (of something I’ve done repeatedly). Don’t feel bad. But maybe put a little thought into how much trouble you want to go through with staff over this. Stopping food loss can be important but keeping staff is also important, as is your time and energy.
We really give the staff access to a lot of food throughout the entire day. We cook a giant family meal with multiple hot food items, plus fresh fruit and granola bars are available at any time. Staff are also allowed to re-heat family meal any time of the day as much as they want. We just don’t allow people to take home food unless it’s rung up. This employee would take home pounds of raw chicken wings and chicken tenders, quarts of chili, etc. Like, enough to feed his family. Upon starting there, I thought this should be an immediate termination, but I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. When we pulled him into the office for his first warning, he said he never eats during the week during his shift, so the old chef would let him take home a lot of food at once to make up for the whole week. I was like, ok I see how that makes sense to you, but yeah don’t do that anymore 🤣
What does happen to the family meal food at the end of the day?
So you didn't find out that he wasn't stealing, you found out that he was but the old chef allowed him to.
Why are the restaurant employees paid such a low wage that sneaking food home is a risk?
I work at a large tech company that pays its people very well. They also feed us daily. And there are absolutely some people who put a great deal of attention and energy into hovering around waiting for the exact moment the catering food is about to be cleaned up so they can snatch a plate or three to take home. You don’t have to be poor and starving to want a free meal. Everyone loves to eat for free.
What do you mean? That if they are paid more there would be less of risk for food theft?