Message #43318

[twhfan]

This is a really interesting question.  A few years ago, it came to light that our receptionist was stealing money from an office fund that she had offered to manage.  Another co-worker and I discovered this.  Without alerting her, we went to our supervisor, then her supervisor.  We were really concerned because this person processed the mail for the entire office and we often received cash donations via mail.  

To my amazement, her supervisor didn't want to do anything about it, telling us "She's a single mom with a deadbeat husband - she's probably only doing it to feed her kids."  So this makes it right?!  I showed the supervisor a receipt from a fund-raiser I had helped with, for $60 worth of chocolates and other candy that the receptionist had purchased.  The other co-worker came forward with another receipt for large purchases from a home decorating party.  If this woman was truly stealing to feed her kids, she wouldn't have purchased these things.

To make a very long story a little shorter, a trap was set (by the mail supervisor), she took the bait and was fired, with her supervisor protesting the entire time.  I truly felt bad that things had to end that way, but I couldn't understand why a supervisor would want to retain a dishonest employee - especially one in a position to get their hands on large sums of cash.

It was interesting to read that a couple of other posters have also encountered supervisors who would rather overlook dishonesty than do anything about it.