Fingered at work
Question
I've been accused of stealing from my work. There's no CCTV evidence but my employer found a discrepancy in the till receipts that they say proves I stole money. They've suspended me and reported me to the police. Would handing in my notice improve my chances of them dropping the charges?
Answer
If you're innocent of the accusations then you have a case to fight both at work and in the courts to clear your name.
To sack you the company will have to go through the statutory disciplinary procedure which allows for a hearing and an appeal. You could also take out a grievance against the company and go to an appeal. If, after this process, you're still unhappy with the outcome you may be able to make an application to an Employment Tribunal to make a claim for unfair dismissal.
If the case goes to court then the prosecution will need to prove beyond reasonable doubt that you committed the crime - a much tougher test than used by the company.
Resigning is not necessarily a good idea as it could be construed as an admission of guilt. If you do decide to leave you might want to write to the company restating that you did not steal any money or items from the company and are leaving because you feel that there has been a fundamental breakdown of trust and you can no longer work for them.
If you are a member of a union then you can contact them for more detailed help and advice. Alternatively, your local Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) should also be able to help.
Updated: 22/06/2009
Question answered by CAB
