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I've already applied, gotten my acceptances, and sent a seat deposit out. I'm currently working up until I begin classes in the fall. In my job, I handle quite a bit of money (tens of thousands of dollars every day) and today I'm out-of-balance by $1,000. Its the type of job where money is constantly coming into and out of my hands, so I have absolutely no idea where it would be. I have complied with the company's numerous policies on cash handling, but still cannot discern where the money was lost or taken. Not only am I concerned about being fired, but more importantly, I now have to worry about the future implications on my legal career.

Basically, I've been freaking out wondering if I could be denied admission to the bar if I am terminated. Obviously the reason for termination would be the missing $1,000. I don't think anything would go in my file about suspected theft because I have a good reputation now with my employer (and obviously I reported the shortage immediately), but it is policy violation to have such a large shortage and it could result in my termination.

I can't believe how ridiculous this is. I don't even care about the job - its my future career that I care about. After working so hard to earn my LSAT score and after the whole craziness of the application cycle, I'm so close to attending my dream law school. I took this job as a means to earn some money during my year off and now I could have jeopardized the entire thing because I took a stupid cash-handling job for a year.

Advice or commiseration would be appreciated.

give the money back

Wow. I don't know what I was expecting.

Of course the only response is an ANONYMOUS post mocking my serious freakout. Stupid me.

what did your supervisor say when you reported the money missing?

*** Get a lawyer that handles bar issues. ***

None legal advice: Outside of that, tell your employer the truth and offer up $1000 of your salary (or out of pocket) to cover the missing money in exchange for them not negatively marking your work record (along with a resignation if need be). Their insurance will cover the loss, so you're taking a hit for them. Document everything, including the check you write to cover the loss, and make sure there's documentation that you offered to pay this money to cover the loss. Hope for the best.

But seriously, get a lawyer.

My gut tells me you'll be o.k. Make sure that your manager knows that you followed procedure.

In the worst case scenario, you could cough up $1,000 of your own money and say that you "found" the missing money. $1k is a lot less than your future career/earning potential, so if you really think this will hurt your admission to the bar, then I think you should consider this option.

Edit: Upon reading the post just before mine, I agree that offering your own money AS your own money is better than pretending to have found the missing money.

I honestly don't see what the problem is in terms of C&F. People make honest mistakes all the time; the missing money can't be attributed to a kind of character defect on your part. I don't think it'll be that difficult to show this to your employers, despite the fact that the incompetence that you displayed on the job might get you fired.

Thanks for the responses. I will definitely offer to repay it because $1,000 would be a small price to pay for a cleared name. I just was freaking out thinking how bad it might look if I was fired for that kind of thing. It was really stupid of me, but the cash had been improperly labeled (I discovered a $2000 strap that actually only contained $1,000) so I must have received it and not noticed it was short. Crossing my fingers I just won't be terminated as a coworker lost more than that and wasn't sacked.

Hey-- I posted the first unhelpful response.. I don't know why it showed as anonymous; may have clicked wrong button.

To be more serious, you seem like you are a genuinely honest person. Offering to repay the money will solve most of your problems.. either your employer will take the money and no police report will be filed, or they may even write off the costs. I really can't imagine a scenario where they would press charges considering how you described your relationship with the company.

PLATONiC wrote:I honestly don't see what the problem is in terms of C&F.

The situation here describes the exact worst thing for C&F. It could be seen as an indiscretion in an employment capacity involving money. You're better off as a drug addict. That's why I don't think OP should take this situation lightly. If this is not handled well it might actually be a serious C&F issue. The kind that disclosure alone does not get rid of.

OP, don't freak out, but don't underestimate how serious this is. Again, talking to a lawyer is a good idea.

Action Jackson wrote:*** Get a lawyer that handles bar issues. ***

None legal advice: Outside of that, tell your employer the truth and offer up $1000 of your salary (or out of pocket) to cover the missing money in exchange for them not negatively marking your work record (along with a resignation if need be). Their insurance will cover the loss, so you're taking a hit for them. Document everything, including the check you write to cover the loss, and make sure there's documentation that you offered to pay this money to cover the loss. Hope for the best.

But seriously, get a lawyer.

This could possibly be the worst advice I've ever seen on here.

A'nold wrote:

Action Jackson wrote:*** Get a lawyer that handles bar issues. ***

None legal advice: Outside of that, tell your employer the truth and offer up $1000 of your salary (or out of pocket) to cover the missing money in exchange for them not negatively marking your work record (along with a resignation if need be). Their insurance will cover the loss, so you're taking a hit for them. Document everything, including the check you write to cover the loss, and make sure there's documentation that you offered to pay this money to cover the loss. Hope for the best.

But seriously, get a lawyer.

This could possibly be the worst advice I've ever seen on here.

And your advice is what? Don't seek professional advice and just lie?

Just because you were short $1000 does not mean that you stold it. It could be a simple mistake-nothing more than that, but if you did not steal the money why in the world would you act as if you did.

...

$1,000 is a lot to be off in a given day. I don't know what you do, but I think that offering to pay that much back looks odd. I could understand if you were willing to throw up a couple bucks because you worked in retail and your till was short, but it doesn't sound like that. Your company most likely has insurance to cover mistakes like this, and I think that as long as you are completely honest and forthcoming with your bosses, follow all procedures correctly, etc., you shouldn't have to pay back the money.

Posner wrote:I cannot believe people are actually advising that you essentially offer to bribe the employer to not file a report. Offering up any money makes you seem very guilty. If you did nothing wrong, you have nothing to worry about. This should only implicate C&F if it was theft or involved some sort of deception/fraud. Mislabeling money doesn't exactly ring of these issues.

If you've accurately stated the facts, I would not worry. People who are posting responses really need to think these things through. This was really some terrible advise. It could have turned an inconvenient situation into a big problem.

Do not speak about work related or C&F issues if you have no idea what you are talking about.

I don't think that people were advising OP to bribe anybody -- they were merely advising OP to correct the situation with his own funds. I don't see how that's bribery, but nonetheless, I agree that OP should not be coming out of pocket for this. It seems like a pretty shitty, yet honest mistake. Businesses which handle as much cash as OP's employer have insurance for instances like this.

Bert wrote:

Posner wrote:I cannot believe people are actually advising that you essentially offer to bribe the employer to not file a report. Offering up any money makes you seem very guilty. If you did nothing wrong, you have nothing to worry about. This should only implicate C&F if it was theft or involved some sort of deception/fraud. Mislabeling money doesn't exactly ring of these issues.

If you've accurately stated the facts, I would not worry. People who are posting responses really need to think these things through. This was really some terrible advise. It could have turned an inconvenient situation into a big problem.

Do not speak about work related or C&F issues if you have no idea what you are talking about.

I don't think that people were advising OP to bribe anybody -- they were merely advising OP to correct the situation with his own funds. I don't see how that's bribery, but nonetheless, I agree that OP should not be coming out of pocket for this. It seems like a pretty shitty, yet honest mistake. Businesses which handle as much cash as OP's employer have insurance for instances like this.

I don't see how the money could be considered a bribe, especially if the OP was quickly forthcoming about his mistake. To me, and maybe I'm naive, a payback would demonstrate the OP's character and responsibility.

Christ, this has gone off the rails.

Let me, for a third time, reiterate to OP: talk to a lawyer that deals with bar issues in your state.

I did not tell OP to bribe his employers. I told OP he should offer to cover the loss he caused. I don't know the company OP works for, nor does anyone else since he's been extremely vague, so none of us know how his employers will react to $1000 disappearing. They might just pat him on the back and tell him chin up, or they might accuse him of stealing it, or anything in between. OP does not want one of his employers telling the bar that OP might have stolen $1000 on the job. Depending on the state, that could either be a major headache or disqualification. So anything that would prevent his employers from saying that might be a good idea for him, and no, saying "I'll cover the money I lost" doesn't seem suspicious, especially if it's his idea and he does it immediately.

Do not speak about work related or C&F issues if you have no idea what you are talking about.

And you are an expert in C&F issues in OP's state? Oh, right, we don't know what state OP is even in, or what bar he's even thinking about taking. But, he shouldn't worry about the bar and just pretend like nothing happened an not worry about it? BRILLIANT!

Seriously, OP, don't just pretend nothing serious is going on here. Talk to a professional.

Action Jackson wrote:

PLATONiC wrote:I honestly don't see what the problem is in terms of C&F.

The situation here describes the exact worst thing for C&F. It could be seen as an indiscretion in an employment capacity involving money. You're better off as a drug addict. That's why I don't think OP should take this situation lightly. If this is not handled well it might actually be a serious C&F issue. The kind that disclosure alone does not get rid of.

OP, don't freak out, but don't underestimate how serious this is. Again, talking to a lawyer is a good idea.

I actually think Platonic is right. I worked at a bank for a few years in undergrad and had the EXACT same situation - $1000 missing from my drawer one random day. I was worried too, but after a brief "investigation" my name was cleared even though the money never turned up. I was never disciplined or treated like a thief in any way. I really think it came down to my supervisor and manager trusting me, and I didn't make a big deal out of it, just apologized repeatedly for whatever mistake I might have made.

There was actually a company-wide policy at this bank (which was among the top 5 in the US) regarding balancing, and even with the $1000 I was safe. I can't remember whether it was that you had to balance a certain % of the time or if it was a certain % of the money, but with the amount of money I handled and the fact that I was very rarely out of balance it still wasn't an issue. I just got "talked to" about counting and recounting money when handling and transferring it. Find out what the policy is - your company probably has one and you're probably fine.

You're freaking out way too much. I worked at a bank and we had people (rarely) off that much at the end of that day. Never did we think someone actually stole the money. Most of the employees were 1. generally honest, or 2. too scared to do something like that. I'm assuming you're more 1, and your co-workers know that. I agree w/ the above. Most companies have procedures to deal w/ issues like that - and I'm sure yours does too because you clearly work with a lot of money. Unless you actually stole it, this shouldn't be a C&F issue. I also think it is ridiculous to pay it back yourself. I also think that could raise issues on the part of the company if they accepted such a payment. Just be honest and worry about losing your job, not your future.

Offering to pay it back is the dumbest fucking advice I've ever heard. Short of confessing, I can't think of anything that would make you appear more guilty.

Desert Fox wrote:Offering to pay it back is the dumbest fucking advice I've ever heard. Short of confessing, I can't think of anything that would make you appear more guilty.

Thank you.

ActionJackson- apparently me thinking this wasn't so off the wall, eh?

Wow people are freaking out over very little. OP, I had a similar thing happen once where I had $200 disappear out of a cash drawer at work. I just reported it to the manager, said I didn't take it and had no idea what happened to it. If you're a good employee, they're going to believe you. Maybe you'll get a warning or a write-up or something. There is no reason to freak out if you didn't do anything wrong. This type of stuff happens when people handle money.

About 6 months later we figured out how it had gotten stolen, but that point was pretty much irrelevant. You don't have to give up your law school dreams over this.

Video tapes should be available to review your transactions for that time period. Most video cameras are focused on employees & registers, rather than on customers. The company probably knows where the missing money has gone, if money is missing at all or else this company wouldn't be able to obtain fidelity bond coverage. In short, they already know.

If you are terminated, you should ask that you be allowed to take a polygraph and have the results placed in your personnel file in case it is ever pulled.