Staff says cash got stolen

[benalibina]

This a fun thread to read. Made me really laugh. Lets hope the OP will keep us feeding with updates. He aint shy, thats for sure !!

[varun]

Ultimately, the buck stopped with you, and you failed.

Although the fault is partly your father-in-law's, after this fiasco, I'm quite certain he won't delegate managerial / supervisory responsibilities to a dimwit like you again.

[mogandave]

If she stole the money, why would you not prosecute her?

She wants to pay it back 3K a month? Didn’t she just steal it? What happened to it?

[Tim1980]

Many of you gave great advices and pointed out good ideas ... some made fun, thanks all for your time and now it's over... Anyway some advices been of great help thanks

Also thanks to those who make fun out of someone requesting for help, you guys are kind and brilliant

[JoeThePoster]

Need to lower the rent to reduce future losses.

[Tim1980]

Need to lower the rent to reduce future losses.

Another piece of super idea

[harrry]

My view is that if she has worked for a long time and has herself offered to pay 3000 a month back it would be reasonable to take the offer. You do not have any proof of criminal wrongdoing but you so of carelessness and probably ground for dismisal but that will not give any recovery of the money. Get a written signed agreement to repay the money. If it becomes apparent that she is unlikely to be the one that stole the money you can still keep up the repayments but consider a rise to reimurse her for them.

It is important whatever you do that you put in place safer handling of cash procedures. It is hard to see why so much cash was there. Banking should be done daily. You should also have a proper safe for keeping money in other than a small cash float to save opening it all the time for dispursements which is not safe. consider a safe which has a slot where money can be deposited but not removed.

Holidays for all cash handling staff should be enforced and this gives an oportunity for you to review procedures.

[JoeThePoster]

Need to lower the rent to reduce future losses.

Another piece of super idea

You are welcome - it's free.

[Tim1980]

Need to lower the rent to reduce future losses.

Another piece of super idea

You are welcome - it's free.

thanks but keep it for yourself might need it

[JoeThePoster]

Need to lower the rent to reduce future losses.

Another piece of super idea

You are welcome - it's free.

thanks but keep it for yourself might need it

Hey, you didn't mention you were looking for specific type of advice only.

[mogandave]

My view is that if she has worked for a long time and has herself offered to pay 3000 a month back it would be reasonable to take the offer. You do not have any proof of criminal wrongdoing but you so of carelessness and probably ground for dismisal but that will not give any recovery of the money. Get a written signed agreement to repay the money. If it becomes apparent that she is unlikely to be the one that stole the money you can still keep up the repayments but consider a rise to reimurse her for them.

It is important whatever you do that you put in place safer handling of cash procedures. It is hard to see why so much cash was there. Banking should be done daily. You should also have a proper safe for keeping money in other than a small cash float to save opening it all the time for dispursements which is not safe. consider a safe which has a slot where money can be deposited but not removed.

Holidays for all cash handling staff should be enforced and this gives an oportunity for you to review procedures.

She stole the money and is able to turn it into an interest free ten-year loan. Yeah, that’s a great plan, it should really help dissuade her from doing it again and other employees from sealing as well.

Cheat me once, shame on you. Cheat me twice, shame on me.

[scorecard]

At the end of the month when salaries are due just tell the staff the money was stolen, Im sure they'll understand.[/quote

Yesterday we talked to her again and she wants to repay like 3000 b a month and that's gonna take like 6 years for her to pay back. But some thinks she should be removed

Why did she offer to pay it back at all?

Looks like she's got a pretty cheap (interest free) loan of 200k for 6 years if you ask me. Assuming she remains for 6 years months days that is.

And why can't she pay it all back (or a very large proportion of it) right away?

[scorecard]

My view is that if she has worked for a long time and has herself offered to pay 3000 a month back it would be reasonable to take the offer. You do not have any proof of criminal wrongdoing but you so of carelessness and probably ground for dismisal but that will not give any recovery of the money. Get a written signed agreement to repay the money. If it becomes apparent that she is unlikely to be the one that stole the money you can still keep up the repayments but consider a rise to reimurse her for them.

It is important whatever you do that you put in place safer handling of cash procedures. It is hard to see why so much cash was there. Banking should be done daily. You should also have a proper safe for keeping money in other than a small cash float to save opening it all the time for dispursements which is not safe. consider a safe which has a slot where money can be deposited but not removed.

Holidays for all cash handling staff should be enforced and this gives an oportunity for you to review procedures.

In terms of the safe with slot (but employed staff have no keys to the safe - well that's fine but there should also be some procedure / documentation whereby you (owner, son in law, your wife, whatever) know on a minute by minute bases that rent money received has actually gone through the slot.

Is there a receipt book and are receipt issued religiously at the moment of receiving money?

Are the staff under strict instructions to issue receipts on the spot - have they been specifically told 'I'll do it later' is never ever allowed?

Have your tenants been politely but clearly told to always insist on a receipt, and at the time the money is handed over? Do you have any signs to this effect in the office?

Are receipt books kept under lock and key and issue of new receipt books controlled strictly by you or your wife?

Is there any process to check that bank deposits / monies received but not yet banked match issued receipts? Is this check done by you or your wife - not employed staff? How often is it done? At least twice a day?

None of the above is difficult and doesn't take all that much time if done regularly.

If anybody sees the above as a nuisance then don't complain when you get fleeced. In any country.

In any business you trust nobody.

Edited October 4, 2013 by scorecard

[scorecard]

At the end of the month when salaries are due just tell the staff the money was stolen, Im sure they'll understand.

Yesterday we talked to her again and she wants to repay like 3000 b a month and that's gonna take like 6 years for her to pay back. But some thinks she should be removed

So she's offered to pay it back. Guess this assumes she admitted taking the money? Who heard her say all of this? Any witnesses?

Did anybody write down what was said, with a date and time?

Did anybody quickly write the main details on a piece of paper, including her admittance that she took the money and ask her to sign it?

Did she say where the money has gone?

Does she have any assets?

How many other people now know about this? Has anything been said to the tenants who paid this money? Do you normally issue receipts?

Are tenants perhaps wondering whether they will be asked to pay again?

[Hedghog]

Op.

You are supposedly the manager.

You are in the frame for the lost money.

Fil will come looking.

[amykat]

Well it's my father in-laws business, me & my wife are given to handle it couple days a go and this thing happened right from the start huh

Sorry to say this, but it sounds a bit, or a lot, like a typical "farang' set-up. You now feel responsible, you are RICH, the money probably wasn't really stolen, but the NICE, RICH farang will pay it back ...because otherwise, XYZ terrible things will happen to the business, to the family, whatever.

If this isn't your business, as you just said it is NOT, than stop caring right now what happens, who did it, or what should happen with this particular employee. That is all, stop everything, stop discussing everything, stop thinking about everything.

Farang men, and maybe women too, somehow feel responsible to solve all the Thai problems that come up in their "family" and Thais know this. They sometimes use this against you. You know, because we "know" so much more than them, so we also tend to take on all their problems, and think we can solve them, and many of the problems are made up, total BS, to get your money. They really aren't so stupid, so leave it to the Thai people to solve their own problems, just like you solve your own problems when your currency crashes, the stock market crashes, your pension is late, or whatever.

I mean, even if this isn't a scam, it really is NOT your problem, at all!! Act like this and things will work out accordingly. And it won't happen again next month, "when they leave you in charge" again.

[Thai at Heart]

Ask father on law if he normally uses knee capping or thumb screws.

You lost it, time to man up and pay, or get her to pay.

[oogster8]

Well it's my father in-laws business, me & my wife are given to handle it couple days a go and this thing happened right from the start huh

OMG so funnie! This is why you let business pepele handle business. Its your father in laws fault! Try that line...............lol.

[Spoonman]

It's your FIL's fault. He put you in charge and you have virtually admitted that you would have trouble managing a piss-up in this proverbial brewery (not having a clue about business processes).

Luckily, it's his money so he has only himself to blame.

I suggest he fires you and employs somebody with the savvy to recognise that the week's takings of 200k Baht should not be left in the care of an underling without ensuring their trustworthiness, and getting them to guarantee their honesty by giving a cash surety and all the other usual "honesty and integrity guarantees" that is SOP in Thailand.

Sorry Buddy, but unless you get on the fast track to learning about business process control in general, and the dangers of doing business in Thailand in particular, you're ripe to be raped, plucked, picked again.

Really, an employee giving a cash surety is standard operating procedure in Thailand......... I doubt very much.

[Cam Khao]

Yes we reported police and just knew that even mu CCTV was long broken, said they could do nothing

Not paying to fix that CCTV has cost you big time eh?

But its common sense I think is missing here.

Let's do a little math, let's hypothetically say you are paying this lass 8k a month, no idea if this is correct but probably close to the mark.

So you let almost a complete stranger, collect in cash, what amounts to two years of her salary.

Why would you ever think this was a wise idea? That's like asking a stranger back home to collect £50,000 in cash for you from somebody.

Cam.

[The Deerhunter]

She was the only one responsible and am here working only since week a go and now my father in-law is getting little upset

Who gave the the authority for her to collect the rent...did you select her or you FIL?

If you it is something you must handle on your own. Decide whether to press charges, fire her, make a token repayment plan (which of course can only be token or she cannot do it.)

If your father in law is the one that apponted her you need to discuss it with him. He knows her background and then you have to decide if she was taking advantage of your newness..in which case you need to throw the book at her.

Until that is decided of course you will have to stop her collecting any rent or handling money.

Only really sensible answer for the poor guy so far.

[transam]

A farang friend and Thai wife gave up their BKK restaurant cos the food stock was disappearing daily. Enough was enough.

[somchaismith]

I was renting an apartment in Sapan Mai. Once, I was foolish enough to leave my Reebok flip flops outside my apartment's front door. Next morning, alas, they were gone. As I walked out of the building's main entrance there were two guys sitting at a concrete garden bench, drinking white whisky. They started grinning, laughing and said,"Falang rich!" "Falang rich!".

Wonder who nicked my shoes?

Edited October 6, 2013 by somchaismith

[oogster8]

I bet the wealth of the avg farang is way bigger than the wealth of the avg thai. Its all relative!

[Tim1980]

My view is that if she has worked for a long time and has herself offered to pay 3000 a month back it would be reasonable to take the offer. You do not have any proof of criminal wrongdoing but you so of carelessness and probably ground for dismisal but that will not give any recovery of the money. Get a written signed agreement to repay the money. If it becomes apparent that she is unlikely to be the one that stole the money you can still keep up the repayments but consider a rise to reimurse her for them.

It is important whatever you do that you put in place safer handling of cash procedures. It is hard to see why so much cash was there. Banking should be done daily. You should also have a proper safe for keeping money in other than a small cash float to save opening it all the time for dispursements which is not safe. consider a safe which has a slot where money can be deposited but not removed.

Holidays for all cash handling staff should be enforced and this gives an oportunity for you to review procedures.

thanks Harry now we settled