Why resign from a job if you've done nothing wrong?
Why resign from a job if you've done nothing wrong?
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Dog Star

Original Poster:

17,542 posts

197 months

Monday 17th September 2012
quotequote all
A friend of mine - someone that I *need* to trust - was recently put on "gardening leave" as a sum of *charity* money - a four figure sum, so not remotely triviel - disappeared from their desk.

This friend has subsequently resigned their position, saying that it avoids the "scandal" and "gossip". (This sounds bks - surely it looks worse?)

Being self-employed I'm not really privy to the workings of big companies but this looks odd to me - if it were me I'd stand my ground if it wasn't me that took the money. Why put yourself out of work because of some thieving scrote?

Or am I being too simplistic? confused Any HR type people think this is what is normal?

worsy

6,594 posts

204 months

Monday 17th September 2012
quotequote all
Maybe they realise that without any proof there will always be a question mark over them and they's prefer not to work with that stigma.

icetea

846 posts

171 months

Monday 17th September 2012
quotequote all
I think its madness to resign in those circumstances - the only exception being if its someones wife just doing a little part time job to keep themselves busy, rather than needing the money.

They have basically made themselves unemployable. There is zero chance I would entertain a job application from someone who resigned their last job while under investigation for a theft.

MadMullah

5,299 posts

222 months

Monday 17th September 2012
quotequote all
also a resignation means that as a former employer you have to say he resigned rather than got sacked etc.

plus as said before it may not be the best of environments to work under such environments

Pickled Piper

6,452 posts

264 months

Monday 17th September 2012
quotequote all
The employer may have offered him that option. If he was caught bang to rights, the employer may have just told him he can give the money back and resign or they will call in the Police and pursue criminal charges. Causes less problems for both parties.

pp


Soovy

35,829 posts

300 months

Monday 17th September 2012
quotequote all
Pickled Piper said:
The employer may have offered him that option. If he was caught bang to rights, the employer may have just told him he can give the money back and resign or they will call in the Police and pursue criminal charges. Causes less problems for both parties.

pp
10000% this.

"You can either give the money back and resign, and we'll give you a neutral reference, or we'll sack you for gross misconduct and bring in the police. Your choice".


icetea

846 posts

171 months

Monday 17th September 2012
quotequote all
Well presumably thats not the case here, if the OP's friend really is innocent. Of course we could only be getting one side of the story as usual biggrin

Soovy

35,829 posts

300 months

Monday 17th September 2012
quotequote all
icetea said:
Well presumably thats not the case here, if the OP's friend really is innocent. Of course we could only be getting one side of the story as usual biggrin
hehe

Dog Star

Original Poster:

17,542 posts

197 months

Monday 17th September 2012
quotequote all
Soovy said:
Pickled Piper said:
The employer may have offered him that option. If he was caught bang to rights, the employer may have just told him he can give the money back and resign or they will call in the Police and pursue criminal charges. Causes less problems for both parties.

pp
10000% this.

"You can either give the money back and resign, and we'll give you a neutral reference, or we'll sack you for gross misconduct and bring in the police. Your choice".
It's not me, if you are wondering! I'm a self-employed IT contractor and am still very much there smile

It's a friend of mine who is in HR and I sometimes wonder at some of the stuff she says.

I *do* know however that it's exactly as Soovy has surmised - she was given the option to resign and a reference.

I just found it odd - if that was me and my job and I was innocent then I'd be damned if I was resigning - I'd be saying "bring it on - get the cops in!".

anonymous-user

83 months

Monday 17th September 2012
quotequote all
Soovy said:
10000% this.

"You can either give the money back and resign, and we'll give you a neutral reference, or we'll sack you for gross misconduct and bring in the police. Your choice".
or gross misconduct for negligence in not putting cash in safe/secure place.

icetea

846 posts

171 months

Monday 17th September 2012
quotequote all
Its not exactly hard to ask around and find out why someone left their last job though. If they're applying for jobs in the same area and industry, a lot of people who know each other. And all of this is only made easier with everyone using linked in, Facebook etc.

For me, the neutral reference along with the apparently leaving a job for absolutely no reason would be the first signal something wasn't as it seems. Enough so to warrant further investigation, or maybe just outright bin the CV.

Dog Star

Original Poster:

17,542 posts

197 months

Monday 17th September 2012
quotequote all
icetea said:
Well presumably thats not the case here, if the OP's friend really is innocent. Of course we could only be getting one side of the story as usual biggrin
I have my suspicions - and I perhaps respect Soovy's opinions enough to now be rather more than suspicious. frown

Mojooo

13,291 posts

209 months

Tuesday 18th September 2012
quotequote all
As someone has says, there may well be a stigma attached to her i nthat workpalce now - any employment hing is not going to be cleared up like a proper court case, so regardless of any clearance, it may never be the same.

buggalugs

9,279 posts

266 months

Tuesday 18th September 2012
quotequote all
Resigning does look guilty, unless she just felt she didn't want to work there any more after the accusation.

that said, If the 4 figure sum of cash was in her charge and she left it on a desk....

iphonedyou

10,409 posts

186 months

Tuesday 18th September 2012
quotequote all
Soovy said:
10000% this.

"You can either give the money back and resign, and we'll give you a neutral reference, or we'll sack you for gross misconduct and bring in the police. Your choice".
I thought people saying '110%' was bad furious

blueg33

46,322 posts

253 months

Tuesday 18th September 2012
quotequote all
iphonedyou said:
I thought people saying '110%' was bad furious
Soovy is not content with being absolutely correct, he has to be absolutely aldsolutely completely corect......oh thats still only 100% smile

Honestherbert

592 posts

176 months

Thursday 20th September 2012
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Sorry to say OP but the fact she works in HR means you can't trust her as far as you can throw her.

fido

18,860 posts

284 months

Friday 21st September 2012
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Dog Star said:
I'm a self-employed IT contractor and am still very much there smile
Look at it another way, if someone offered you 8 weeks contract pay and suggest you f8ck off .. you might take them up on it, right? Maybe she felt the same way about her job.

Dog Star

Original Poster:

17,542 posts

197 months

Friday 21st September 2012
quotequote all
fido said:
Look at it another way, if someone offered you 8 weeks contract pay and suggest you f8ck off .. you might take them up on it, right? Maybe she felt the same way about her job.
Irrelevant; the person in question had the money taken, it was resign or be sacked. Said person is not in the position to be out of work.

icetea

846 posts

171 months

Friday 21st September 2012
quotequote all
Dog Star said:
Irrelevant; the person in question had the money taken, it was resign or be sacked. Said person is not in the position to be out of work.
Assuming they had worked there long enough, they could have just let themselves be sacked then go down the employment tribunal if they felt the sacking was unfair.

I'm not sure how likely that would be to work - imho even if she didn't steal the money, it would be gross misconduct to just leave the cash in her desk and let someone else steal it. We're not talking about £20 petty cash... it should certainly have been securely stored.