Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: How to get a worker to confess

This is topic How to get a worker to confess in forum Ground Level at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Robert L. Fischer (Member # 2424) on 06-21-2004, 03:34 AM:

OK, here's my anomaly. At my theater, we have a total of 7 male workers -- the general manager, one of our 2 assistant managers, and 5 ushers. A few of our ushers started this running joke of calling me "good ol' Bert" as a nickname of sorts. Well, about a week ago, someone was moronic enough to carve that into one of the bathroom stalls. My general manager found it and questioned me about it. He knows that I didn't do it, especially considering that I hated the nickname, but he finds it only fair to punish all of the male employees until someone confesses. Originally, he was going to give us all "write-ups" (one of our company's standard policies) and rip them up when someone finally realized it had gone too far and confessed. Of course, there's a chance that the person still wouldn't confess, so he decided that wasn't a good idea. However, I'm not too thrilled about his latest idea either. He decided that he's going to be especially hard on us and make us do busy work constantly until someone confesses. Now, I have no problem with working hard because I do that on a daily basis, but I don't like doing extra work that is essentially worthless and only out of punishment for something I didn't do. The real problem in all of this is that most of us suspect that it was actually the assistant manager who did it (I know, sad) and he won't be punished at all by this policy because he's a manager and he's gone on the weekends because he manages the drive-in in our town. I really want all this nonsense to end before it goes too far, especially because I'm in the process of being promoted to assistant manager and I'm not too thrilled about having any black mark on my reputation since it was in fact my nickname that was carved into the stall. For the record, my general manager is, on the whole, a fairly understanding person and is just trying to do what is best; I just don't agree with his decision. What techniques would you guys suggest for getting someone to 'fess up to the crime?

Posted by Wolff King Morrow (Member # 2226) on 06-21-2004, 04:16 AM:

Well unless the person who did it has told anyone else, I seriously doubt they will find out who it was. The best thing your boss can do is issue a warning that anyone actually caught destroying company property will be fired and billed for the repairs. Other than that, I don't think your boss should try the military approach of punishing everybody. This can backfire into serious employee complaints to upper management (and possibly legal action), especially if he considered giving everyone write-ups undeservedly.

Posted by Mark Hajducki (Member # 1732) on 06-21-2004, 06:45 AM:

I used to work at a cinema with a similar incident and the management removed privalidges from all staff members (despite many staff not being on that evening). As a result there was lower moral amoungst staff and a poor working environment. The idea was to continue this untill somebody confessed or was reported, however whilst some people had suspicions they were unable to confirm since they had no evidence.

If you do know who is guilty then:

quote: General Melchett in Blackadder Goes Forth (Ep5)
Personally, I'd recommend you get hold of a cocker spaniel, tie your suspect down on a chair, with a potty on his head, then pop his todger between two flowery bamps and shout, "Dinnertime, Fido!"

Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 06-21-2004, 06:58 AM:

As some (especially Mr Redifer) will agree, there is no better way to resolve this matter than physical violence, or more specifically torture. If you don`t want to leave any evidence, you could also use sleep deprivation.

Posted by Rob Butler (Member # 2274) on 06-21-2004, 10:08 AM:

Is it at all possible that a customer or some non-employee might have carved it?

Posted by Jeremy Fuentes (Member # 2135) on 06-21-2004, 10:15 AM:

Then he would have had to have know about the nickname. If so, it was more than likely someone at the theater that told them the name. Good luck with this.

Posted by Jeff Stuckey (Member # 1718) on 06-21-2004, 11:44 AM:

In my experience with these situations, the person that did it will usually fess up but it will take some time. One day everyone will be gabbing around the concession stand, and some dufus will just spout it out without even thinking about it. "Hey Guys, remember that time I wrote..." I had this real treasure of an employee once who would just tell us he'd been out the back of the theater building drinking booze. I heard he inlisted in the Navy or something like that.

Hope this can be solved without driving everyone nuts. Take care!

Posted by Matt Hefright (Member # 2470) on 06-27-2004, 01:28 PM:

in my organization we have a unique individual who is a member of the concessions staff and also the ring leader. if there is something i need to know about i'll squeeze him for info. that way when i need to speak with an employee about an incident i already know all the right answers. [Smile]

[ 06-28-2004, 01:00 AM: Message edited by: Matt Hefright ]

Posted by Bill Enos (Member # 440) on 06-27-2004, 02:36 PM:

Sad to say but this seems to be much commotion over very little. Call everybody on the carpet, raise some hell over it, make the repair, and move on.

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 06-27-2004, 04:05 PM:

Michael is onto something I think you should line up the entire staff and then randomly shoot one of them and after a pause repeat the procedure until there is a confession (good idea is to use an area that is easy to hose down) Joe was right violence cures everything [evil]

Posted by Thomas Procyk (Member # 1170) on 06-27-2004, 04:55 PM:

quote: Matt Hefright
he however is deathly afraid of his parents, even at 20, or getting in trouble in any way. if there is something i need to know about i'll squeeze him for info. that way when i need to speak with an employee about an incident i already know all the right answers.

Matt, it's not very nice to manipulate people like that. Not only are you inflicting fear on this kid to get him to tell you information ("I'll call your parents if you don't tell!") which is not only rude, but very juvinile on your part, you are more than likely turning the rest of the staff against him for being the "rat." They'll probably give him problems and eventually make him quit because of you. Then where will you get your information from?

Sorry to be so hot on this, but I had a manager who did this and tried to get ME to be her little spy. It makes for a very, very unpleasant working environment when everyone is "watching" everyone else. [Mad]

=TMP=

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 06-27-2004, 05:08 PM:

A world without spys would be boring add a line to the staff manual "Any employee with direct knowledge of a fellow employees actions or conduct that jeprodize the reputation, property or business of the employer can be held as liable as the culprit"
Manditory rat laws are already on the legal books

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 06-27-2004, 05:21 PM:

Rat-out laws may be on the "books", but I agree with Tom. That kid is not only being "Strong-armed", but also more specifically, blackmailed.

You as a person of power over him, i.e. his manager (boss), are putting your whole company in jeopardy for a lawsuit as well as jail time for you.

I agree with Tom and suggest you grow up and be a professional.

(Yeah, yeah, YEAH! I know! Tom and I actually agreed on something!) [Razz]

>>> Phil

Posted by Adam Wilbert (Member # 1184) on 06-28-2004, 12:00 AM:

quote: Gordon McLeod
Michael is onto something I think you should line up the entire staff and then randomly shoot one of them and after a pause repeat the procedure until there is a confession

Wasn't there a movie where someone tried this, and when it came time to shoot the second person, everyone fingered the dead guy as the culprit?

Posted by Matt Hefright (Member # 2470) on 06-28-2004, 12:45 AM:

i don't have to threaten him at all. he simply gives info when asked about a situation. as to blackmailing him WTF? why would i run the theatre like that...i don't manipulate him at all he's willing. at least i don't have a problem in the theatre like the original post of this topic. we're not using draconian tactics here...

ok we'll just shoot all of them until one confesses, or just beat them up. is that better?

its amazing what you can read into a post,jeeze!
notice the smiley at the end.....?

[ 06-28-2004, 11:47 AM: Message edited by: Matt Hefright ]