Reported for theft by a manager

[barrowc]

for that you'd have to leave the building/premises and then be stopped surely ? a bit like shop lifting from a shop?

I don't think so. If the IB had introduced some test packages to the system and you were found with the contents of those test packages on your person then you'd be in deep trouble. I presume they would have been watching you on the CCTV and would have intervened as soon as they saw what looked like theft taking place. No reason to wait for you to leave the premises

[George88]

I'm guilty as charged.

Spoke to a lady from Reed today regarding my accusations. Turns out it has nothing to do with the mail at all. I've been accused of stealing biscuits and a pair of gloves, and will be dismissed this week. I was told it's highly likely I'm going to be sacked pending further investigation.

In case you're wondering, Wednesday night shift (27-Mar) I ate some biscuits from a packet that didn't belong to me and picked up a pair of new gloves to work with since mine were full of holes and I am constantly refused new pairs by the guy who gives 'em out. Actually he normally he tells me to f**k off, but oh well. I actually did open the packet of Rich Tea to be honest, so I am guilty. It's certainly no excuse, but they'd been sitting there since Monday (25-Mar), and on the Wednesday night shift, well actually Thursday 4:00 AM by the time of the incident, they were still there. I do sincerely apologise if they were yours and you're reading this now. Also, no I never stole the contents of your lunch (2 KitKats, some cereal bars, some fruit and some other food items). I don't know who took all the food, I just ate some of the Rich Tea.

Well that's all from me. I have no other issues regarding my "theft", having worked in the office environment for years in the past I know what it's like having my biccies, chocs and milk taken by drivers, temps and others. Normally I'd say something like "don't eat my food mate, and buy me some more while you're out!"... not "YOUR JOB IS MINE!!! " while I ran to the manager.

Thanks for your advice everyone, much appreciated and all the best with your Angard futures.

Oh by the way, this incident happened in the South West Distribution Centre, Severn Beach. I'm the only George there. Anyone else work there on the night shift?

[fishtank]

Rich Tea are the dullest of all the biscuits,duller even than Ginger Snaps.
I would have had the Kit Kats.

One of our guys stormed out once swearing he'd had enough,within seconds his lunch box had been stripped bare by a swarm of locusts.
He walked back in 5 minutes later after a smoke.

[George88]

Oh I would have eaten the KitKats, but I've got a sort of mild allergy stopping me from eating chocolate, else I'd have shovelled those down too .

I've never heard of an incident like this before, ever... has anyone else? This is PC madness! I'm having a really hard time believing what's happened. Sacked for eating some biccies? When I went to the Reed office today to give my statement, the lady sounded like she was investigating a crime and I was a thief. I stole biscuits, therefore I've broken my trust with the company and that is not acceptable behaviour. I think she could see my perspective when I asked her if she would also sack me if she was in any position to do so, but she refused to answer. I also asked her if she would report somebody to the manager if they stole her biscuits, but she again refused to answer saying it depends on context, almost as if to say I went rooting through somebody's personal bag (it was a plastic carrier on a table).

Honestly, these floor managers let their little bit of power go straight to their head. Never mind I've got rent & bills of approx £1,000/month which will not be paid now, I took his biscuits!!!

Life, stop kicking my ass

[hubbahubba]

Maybe they overeacted,maye not.
From their point of view,if you are prepared to take something as small as a few biscuits,whose to say you wouldn't take an iphone or similar from the shopfloor?
Did you know whose bag it was?If so,was it a friend you were going to tell and get a replacement for at a later date?Or don't you know who owned the biscuits?
I've had stuff nicked from the canteen,as have many people,and if i caught them at it,they would at least get a "what the f*** do you think youre doing?" off me.I wouldn't go to managment about it,but its not acceptable behaviour...

Just because its a small deal to you,somebody had to pay for them.Respect peoples property.

[George88]

Did you know whose bag it was?

No.

were going to tell and get a replacement for at a later date?

Buy a few biscuits? NO.

I've had stuff nicked from the canteen

Me too. People who leave food on a table for a week shouldn't expect it to be there when they return. That's not justification for it going missing, but is it also justifiable to sack someone for a few Rich Tea?

From their point of view,if you are prepared to take something as small as a few biscuits,whose to say you wouldn't take an iphone or similar from the shopfloor?

Huh? That's like saying if I'm prepared to kill a fly, who's to say I wouldn't kill a cat or a dog? Of course I wouldn't kill cute fluffy animals, but pest insects? Hell yes I'll kill them... with pleasure I might add. There IS a difference. Taking a few biscuits and stealing mail are not even comparable. Anyway, those biccies were tempting me all week, and I refrained until on my final night, which was particularly hard work, I gave in and had a few. I had a *FEW*, not the entire bag of food.

That's not even the point. I got sacked for it, that's the point.

[Tman]

Over the years I've known of a married couple (posties) who were sacked for making a cup of coffee with stuff kept in a desk draw (not theirs),several sacked for taking stamps which have fallen off of envelopes, and yet another for pocketing a "free survey" pen.
Sadly you're far from being the first to get caught for taking silly stuff, but that's life in RM, and the honesty line has to be drawn somewhere.

[George88]

Agreed. Perhaps the union could step in one day and help shift that line towards the more subjective end of the spectrum? Royal Mail/Reed seem to treat their grunts (who make up the majority of the work force) in absolute terms. As in, you stole a biscuit therefore you're a thief and if you're prepared to steal a biscuit, you're prepared to steal anything and are therefore too much of a liability to be around the mail. Biscuit thieves are NOT welcomed!

Incidentally, laziness is not on their radar seemingly because it doesn't have any potential to cause mail to mysteriously disappear, although expect severe delays in your 1st class post.

[Tman]

Agreed. Perhaps the union could step in one day and help shift that line towards the more subjective end of the spectrum?

Can't see that ever happening. You can imagine the Red Top headlines now....."Royal Mail thieves charter".
Besides which theft is theft, and your "guilty-ness" shouldn't be decided on the pure monetary value of the items.

[fishtank]

In reality a line is always drawn at some point.
Where the line is drawn is never clearly defined for obvious reasons and never will be,especially officially by RM and the CWU and it can move depending on management so it's not a line I would rely too much on..but it does exist.

It might be the biscuit incident in some places,in others that might be dealt with by a caution to keep your hands to yourself in future and an order to replace the Rich Tea,more or less how it's been dealt with in the past in my limited experience.
Let's hope it's not rubber bands in delivery or we're all in trouble.

I think the end result was a little harsh on George but when you take without asking it's always a game of chance.

[George88]

I agree theft is theft, but that is absolutism again. We can all be made out to be thieves no matter how squeaky clean we are, but we know better than to call somebody, say, a murderer simply for squatting flies or even trapping rats. Likewise, if your mates come over and help themselves to a cuppa while they wait for you to finish what you're doing, is that not theft in every sense of the word? If one of your mates brought a friend over and THEY started helping themselves to a cuppa, you might change how you think and might say something like "who does he think he is?" for doing it. One rule for me, another for you.

Morals as always subjective in nature and dealing with them likewise leads to the best results for all.

[Tman]

"Best results"?

Dealing with these problems subjectively leads to {insert crime or person of choice} getting a suspended sentence or a small fine, while other lesser offenders seem to get a harsher punishment.

Why should RM/CWU/HR get bogged down in deciding cases like that when there are already rules in place?
Hypothetically,would you have expected a lesser or greater "punishment" had you been working in Tescos and thought you'd nab a bread roll or slice of ham?

[George88]

That's an interesting point to make, but also illustrates the subjective nature of the crime. There's again a difference between helping yourself to a packet or Rich Tea off the shelf at Tesco and nabbing a few from a seemingly abandoned carrier bag at work. The former can almost never be achieved without planning since the worker would have to decide beforehand that s/he is going to steal, must then go to the aisle/shelf and take the item in question, and then they must make sure they don't get caught at the same time. There's a lot of deceptive thought going into that kind of theft because it's conspired.

On the other hand, seeing a packet on a table and grabbing some is not such a deceptive task because in my opinion, no malice or ill-will is generally intended, no cunning of conspiring is present, although admittedly likely due to ignorance on the side of the individual and a false sense of security, which is not an excuse and mainly the reason I've admitted I am indeed guilty.

However, if you are making the argument that if a worker at Tesco was to suddenly decide "hey look, biscuits on the shelf... I'll have some of those right now", is that any different? Yes, of course it is and in that situation I would claim they were both ignorant and foolish and maybe a little stupid to think they could simply take items off the shelf. I still wouldn't have them sacked, but warned not to do it again and probably told to pay for the items.

Am I condemning myself to be as stupid, ignorant and foolish as I would judge the Tesco worker to be? No; but to be honest with you... I can't think of a good enough reason why right now.

[Justanotherstar]

Are you for f***ing real? you "STOLE" some f***ing rich tea? If I was you id buy a whole box full of rich tea and chuck them at the c***s that complained about their 50p worth of biscuits, i didn't comment before cause I thought what you did (pretending to take a packet) was completely stupid but man this is a joke!!!

what if your blood sugar was low and you felt like you needed something to stop you passing out?

[motch]

Maybe they overeacted,maye not.
From their point of view,if you are prepared to take something as small as a few biscuits,whose to say you wouldn't take an iphone or similar from the shopfloor?
Did you know whose bag it was?If so,was it a friend you were going to tell and get a replacement for at a later date?Or don't you know who owned the biscuits?
I've had stuff nicked from the canteen,as have many people,and if i caught them at it,they would at least get a "what the f*** do you think youre doing?" off me.I wouldn't go to managment about it,but its not acceptable behaviour...

Just because its a small deal to you,somebody had to pay for them.Respect peoples property.

get real man he ate a few rich tea biscuits laying around for a few days at 4 am in the morning, maybe wrong and a lack of will power/bit hungry, but not a sackable offense in my eyes. if i'd reported someone for that and got them the sack i'd feel a right c***.