coming up short on my cash register, or so they say, once $9 and once $5, I think.

by Emily
(Santa Clara, CA)

I am a 17-year-old and was hired for a part-time summer job at a BBQ restaurant in Santa Clara, CA--my first "real" job. Everything has been going great for over two months--I loved working there. I loved my bosses and the people I worked with. They loved me and told me that when I came home from college on vacations or whatever, that I was welcome to come back. They also said they would give me a great recommendation and could put them down as a reference.

I last worked on Saturday, and when I came in for my scheduled Wednesday shift today, I walked in the door and was told by my manager, in front of other employees, that I was being fired for coming up short on my cash register twice--once for $5.00 and once for $9.00, I think. I had never heard that I was even short once. There was no warning, nothing in writing, no dates and times, no nothing. Just complete and utter humiliation. I was handed my final pay checks and told "good-bye".

I DID NOT steal this money. I do NOT know how my register came up short, or even if it really did. I do not want this unjust accusation on my record.

I want to know what I should do. Help!



Emily,

You are not asking me about unemployment benefits. You are asking me how to get the employer to recant that your cash drawer came up short and change the reason for termination.


No can do.

Cash shortage, doesn't necessarily mean that it is believed that you stole the money.

But I'm also afraid that two months at your first "real job" will not be enough wages to qualify for even unemployment unless, the months were split between two quarters.

As far as it being on your record .. you are still young .. so I wouldn't even mention it to prospective employers .. unless they called the cops an prosecuted you for theft or something like that .. and I doubt they did.

Humiliation aside, you've just received your first lesson about what it means to work for an employer and the lesson you take from it is up to you.

Know the employers rules, don't be afraid to stand up for yourself, and there is never any reason to feel humiliation or shame when you know you are right and your conscious is clear of wrongdoing.

Here is something I wonder about though .. if you weren't aware of the cash shortages .. I might assume you never did or were required to reconcile at the end of your shift. I might also wonder that since you had only been working two months whether other people used the same till you used.

It's often the hole in an employers misconduct case for cash shortages.

Chin up Emily, you're young, fresh and new and you're off to college .. it'll be alright:) .. this was just a bad, but learning experience.