It twarn't me!

January 5, 2009 5:35 PM

I started a new job a couple months ago at a small company, and since then, there has been some theft of company property.

A computer was stolen, some HDMI cables, and a phone. Everyone seems to agree that it was either a current or former employee, since our office requires three different keys and a security code to get in. Because the thefts happened since I was hired (and to my knowledge, there were no such incidents prior to my arrival), I can't help but feel like I'm the prime suspect, and I'm suffering some moderate paranoia because of it. Compounding this is the fact that I'm pretty shy and I think this sometimes comes off as stand-offishness, and I worry that this makes me seem shifty, or at least less trustworthy.

I'm hoping that the security-code thing has some type of log that will prove that I wasn't there during the time the stuff was stolen. But until then, should I just try to relax and feel secure in the knowledge that I didn't steal the stuff? Or should I take some action to head off further suspicion?

posted by anonymous to Work & Money (9 answers total)

If you take action and the thief is one of your current coworkers, then they might use your action as "evidence" that you're the one who did it. The most I'd do is ask someone who seems in the know, what you just asked - Does the security-code thing have some type of log that might prove who did it.
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 6:00 PM on January 5, 2009

I don't think there's much you can do. My brother was in a similar situation when cash was stolen right after he got access to a safe. It seems like he'd be too obvious a suspect to be the obvious suspect, so he just kept cool and waited for the truth to come out. It was nerve-wracking, because he did have to be interviewed by the bosses and the police.

You have to put trust in the fact that they won't fly off the handle and fire you on a whim. Without any evidence, they'd be on the hook for unemployment and maybe a lawsuit. The worse outcome is that they don't find the person, and may have a niggling doubt about you for a few months. But if you just keep doing your best at your job, then it will blow over. Good luck.
posted by saffry at 6:18 PM on January 5, 2009 [1 favorite]

The police surely know that if someone's going to steal stuff, they're going to do it when there is an obvious scapegoat to cast suspicion on, such as right after a new guy is hired. There will obviously be some suspicion toward you -- that's why the thief did it! But unless he took action to frame you specifically, they probably won't be able to pin it on you.
posted by kindall at 6:31 PM on January 5, 2009

Forget what your co-workers think, if there was any real suspicion that you are the culprit, your boss(es) would have already spoken to you about it.

There are people at your office who know a lot more than you do (remember, you've only been there a short while) and right now they possibly have a good idea of who did it.

So, relax.

Later on after things cool off, you could even make a joke of it when it comes up, "Yeah, I show up and don't know things go missing. You should see all the post-it notes and paper clips I've walked out of here with..."
posted by wfrgms at 6:38 PM on January 5, 2009

Thieves, by and large, tend to be stupid. Management may seem so, too, but they can be just as wiley.

The first time I was in charge of cashing out at my first job at a fast food place, some newfie who was on an earlier shift with me stole $20 from the register and when I reported the short to my supervisor, she pretty much knew what was going on and fired his ass the next day.

Relax, stay above board, ride it out.

If by security code you mean a pass card, you should be good. A well set-up system will have unique identifiers for each card and the logs will show which card opened the door at what time.

Don't discount a current employee letting another person in on their card, though.
posted by porpoise at 9:07 PM on January 5, 2009

Wfrgms and kindall are absolutely right (though I would avoid joking about it, even after the fact.) Don't worry or be paranoid about it. Thefts happen, and inevitably during your career you might be on the suspect list. The honest usually are eliminated fairly quickly. It happened to me at one point, and I actually had to deal with some staff Security people about it. It was easy to establish that I was innocent, fortunately, as what they thought had been stolen actually had not been (long and not relevant details not included here, but I was able to make it satisfyingly clear how wrong they were). Something like saffry's brother's experience happened to my husband, but the real thief was eventually caught, because the higher ups kept a close check on the money and the thief was cocky and kept stealing.

Kind of an obvious question I know, but have they changed the locks and security code since the thefts? If nothing further happens then that would *possibly* indicate it was a former employee.
posted by gudrun at 9:12 PM on January 5, 2009

You have no evidence to support your conclusion. While obviously plausible, I cannot recommend action unless you learn of actual facts regarding you being a suspect.
posted by Ironmouth at 10:08 PM on January 5, 2009

If you didn't do it, just carry on as usual.

They will find out eventually, and any paranoid behavior on your part will just be taken as some sort of sign that you're guilty, or have a guilty conscience and belabor them getting this figured out.

Act normally, do your job, and you'll be fine.
posted by Grlnxtdr at 7:35 AM on January 6, 2009

Getting involved to try to prove your innocence would possibly be the worst thing you could do. You know that police look for suspects at crime scenes, right?

Just stay even keeled about it. If they suspected you you would already be out.
posted by micawber at 1:42 PM on January 6, 2009