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This topic comprises 5 pages: 1 2 3 4 5
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Author
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Topic: Firing employees who steal
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Rachel Craven
Madam Moderator
Posts: 2190
From: Pensacola, FL
Registered: Dec 2000
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posted 12-29-2002 03:45 PM
Barry,
quote:
I never named a person, theater, or date, so I'm not sure how you could be certain we are talking about the same person. .
I think we both know who are you talking about, old projectionist from the discount across the street, went over to work at your "old" theater as a manager...correct me if I'm wrong, but you two don't get along very well do you?
quote:
I do know you were either not at HH at the time or at least not a manager because I knew all the managers at the time (most of them having come from my theater or the same chain at least) and I asked them about the missing trailers, of which they had no knowledge of course.
Thankyou for naming your theater.
I can vouch for how he receieved all the policy's except the one from Ohio (I was only told that story). I have talked with a manager that was present when the trailer was given to him at your old theater, I have talked to a manager that gave it to him at my theater, and spoke with the manager that gave him the trailer from the other theater he worked at. Each time he "asked" for permission to have them because he collects them. As far as the Ohio one...just taking his word for it.
I think the way you stated your first post was very inappropriate.
You say you didn't accuse anyone of stealing but you did!
quote:
I agree, and I didn't accuse anyone.
You not only accused a person of stealing (which he did not) but you also accused another local theater of stealing (which you have no proof of, just a guess...right?). You really shouldn't go around blowing of steam because you do not like someone
This is definatly a quote of accusation:
quote:
The one thing that pissed me off royally actually involved another theater stealing from mine. There is a "second-run" about 5 minutes away from the theater I worked at.
Also an accusation:
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The movie trailers I probably wouldn't have cared about as we always had plenty unless it was a very small release. However, they stole policy trailers too which at the time we were having a hard time getting corporate to send us more (50 bucks for the corporate logo and 50 bucks for the "exit" times 20 screens and 2 formats...not cheap) to replace the ones we had had for over 2 years.
quote:
The interesting part was when the former projectionist from that theater came to work for our theater as a manager and actually told me that he had stolen the trailers and that he had at least one from every theater he worked at.
I wasn't there for this one, but I was told that this is made up. Considering I know he did not steal the policy's from my own experience and the two of you never got along...why would he ever say this to you?
quote:
Again, personal experience and I don't think you were there at the time in question Rachel. I know this happened at that theater and that we stopped the swapping because I closed every Thursday night since May of 1999 and opened 9 out of 10 Friday mornings since that time, including the ones during the time I am referring to in my above post.
Though I was not here at the time you say the exchanges were cancelled I am looking into it. I have already found notes saying to pick up a print at your old theater in June '99. How long did you say the exchange stopped?
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Barry Martin
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 203
From: Newington, CT USA
Registered: Jul 2002
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posted 12-30-2002 07:23 PM
I am going to say one last thing about my post and then hope that this gets dropped or even better moved to email. I am only replying because of the unfavorable things being said about me now and want to clear it up. I originally posted those three stories to contribute to this discussion. I knew that Sean and probably you, Rachel would know who I was talking about but probably nobody else. There were variables that could have left doubt as to who I was talking about. I had been pondering posting these stories since the topic was bumped a week ago but it was another forum member's posting about being censored which made me actually go through with it. I realized that if I didn't post it, I was just censoring myself because someone might not like it.
I posted with facts that I could back up from my experience, not relying on what anyone else said. It's true Sean and I do not get along, however that is not how it started out. The conversation I quoted took place maybe one week into his working with us, when we were still on good terms. Conversation was always pleasant inlcuding when he would pick up the prints to bring them to the discount. Perhaps my grammar usage was incorrect but I maintain I did not accuse "any-ONE". I did indicate it was the theater because what, did the trailers fall off in the parking lot? They were on when the print left my booth, not there when I broke apart the program when they were returned to me the next morning.
quote:
I wasn't there for this one, but I was told that this is made up. Considering I know he did not steal the policy's from my own experience and the two of you never got along...why would he ever say this to you?
Often conversations that involved two people in a private place are so easily forgotten, especially when dealing with something this shady. However, I can recall the exact location and telling the conversation to others, so I'm pretty sure I'm not making it up or hallucinating it out of rage and desire to do someone harm. I lost my employment over 6 months ago, I was long over it since at least August. In fact, I'm about 10 times better off being away from that job considering what it looks like they are going to end up with.
As for my interest in this Forum, it is only tied with two things: My love of discussion (there are 3 other Forums I participate in regularly) and my enjoyment of films/the exhibition profession. I was here before my work troubles, and I plan on being here long after. I actually registered and started posting shortly after my loss of employment because I no longer had my connection with projection (rhyme not intended, but still amusing) and was unsure how long I would be out of practice. I post to what I can, which usually doesn't involve the technical question threads because I have only dealt with one type of equipment other than threading up. I actually had no idea he even posted here until you mentioned him when I was asking about others' experiences with Unions compared to the trouble I was having.
The point is, I had a story to share, to contribute like everyone else does here and I did. If I was really bent on destroying someone I could have named everything from the get go and thrown in hate comments to boot. Instead I made several edits to my post before submitting it and took great care to exclude any identifying information while keeping the facts necessary to the story. This digging in to me for questioning someone's integrity does seem a bit hipocrytical when trying to tear down mine by saying I've lied and stolen with no fact to base it on. It might have been better to email me to begin with and ask for an explanation of my story before outright accusing me of ignorance and exaggeration.
If there is any question left, I would just as soon have it left to email as the others have suggested and hope the discussion here can stay on topic.
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Jim Alexander
Film Handler
Posts: 71
From: Greenwood, Nova Scotia, Canada
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 01-10-2003 10:25 PM
Well guys...here I thought we had a group of employees that were honest and forthright. Tonight I found out different.
In the past when ever we have suspected theft, we were fortunate (or unfortunate; depending on your veiw) to have the suspected empoyee leave before they were caught. It hasn't happened often and its never amounted to much, but is has happened. Over the past week or so, we started noticing "odd" happenings with the floats and deposits. They weren't balancing correctly. So we set up our cameras and hit the record button...
About a month ago, a friend asked if we would look at hiring a single mother of two, who was on welfare. Since he vouched for her, and in the goodness of our heart, we hired her.
Tonights tape showed us that she is not as honest as we were lead to believe. While she was balancing her box office cash, she thought she was $20 over... to our amazement, she pocketed it. About ten minutes later, she must have found her mistake, cause she took the money out of her pocket and put it back into the deposit. Did she steal...no. does she have the potential to... I would think so. Since I don't want to accuse her until I have proof, her next shift I am going to set up the cash to make it look like there is a $15 overage and see what happens. My bet is on her taking it. At least this is what I'm thinking of doing.
Question is, should she be given leniency considering she is a single mother on welfare; or should we turn it over to the police? She will loose her job over it, but does she need to be dragged through the courts? So far, from what we have been able to piece together, she has taken almost $100 in the past week, but we have no proof of it being her that took it... only suspicion.
I don't mind saying we feel like our good will has been slapped in our face and we are pritty angry about it.
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Jason Black
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1723
From: Myrtle Beach, SC, USA
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 01-10-2003 11:57 PM
Jim,
IMO, I woul dbe careful about setting someone up. If you go this route, make sure there is someone else reputable to witness what you're doing. If you have the evidence on tape, I would bring her into the office, again, with a witness, and presnt her with the situation. If she so chooses to leave on her own free accord, so be it. If not, call the police. MAyeb even let her know that that it your plan. At any rate, single mom or not, on welfare or not, theft is theft.
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Bill Langfield
Master Film Handler
Posts: 280
From: Prospect, NSW, Australia
Registered: Apr 2001
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posted 01-11-2003 10:55 AM
Rachel/Barry/Sean,
I love the story so far. It can get scarey in here can't it!
However, this as said before 'over trailers', I know they should be returned, but they get chucked out pretty quick by the distibutors. Even the courier hates taking them because of this. The way I see it, if the 2nd run or Dollar house is keeping trailers that the 1st run has possibly finished with (most first run cinema's as far as I know, immediately stop screening trailers for films that are in release), this is good, at least the trailers wont get trashed, and could be used down the line at an Art House. (Like I noticed here on the Forum requests for trailers that would have long ago been trashed, if not for collectors)
Besides, when I send a print on to an 'Art House' or 2nd run, I'm not that interested in the trailers that were running with print anyway. (Just send the boxes with the print so they can return them)
However, the policy tags, I'd prefer returned, but that doesn't happen too often. Just got to think ahead and remove the stuff you want to keep before you run the last session.
As for centre rings & film transport sleeves, I'll SHUT UP RIGHT NOW!!
(IF I have extra's, they are from the same cinema chain OK! ![[Smile]](smile.gif) )
Just a thought.
Bill.
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Jack Ondracek
Film God
Posts: 2348
From: Port Orchard, WA, USA
Registered: Oct 2002
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posted 01-11-2003 11:39 AM
quote:
... from Bill L:
Your Box office people should NOT know what their Box Office total is until they have counted up, logged off, filled in the balance sheet and gone to treasury and see if it matches with the printout the manager has got from the system.
Agreed! The cashiers should know their starting bank, and they can count it all they want. If your procedure is set up for it, this allows them to separate their income from the starting till,
However, running register totals should be reserved for the Manager, who can compare the numbers before anyone gets a chance for creative adjustment.
The other consideration is how you schedule cashiers around the tills in the first place. Some theatres don't have separate tills for each cashier on duty. This would make it very difficult to impose responsibility on any one person, should a problem go "legal". At least in our state, you can't assume responsibility on the part of a cashier unless he/she can verify the starting and ending totals, and has personal and exclusive control over the cash drawer until it's turned over to you. If someone else is allowed to make sales or change from that person's drawer, or if you take the drawer upstairs and count it privately, you lose accountability.
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