Katerina754
Junior Member
What is the name of your state? PENNSYLVANIA
I am emplyed by a University Hospital - in a Physician office as a Office Coordinator - Iwas called to our HR dept today and told we were meeting to discuss some instances of money that was not accounted for - which turned out to be I was being investigated for missing funds which were in my control. Iwas given 6 instances were they felt I mishandled patient co-pays - the total was approx $80 - $100 in so called mishandled funds. They showed me receipt copies I had hand written out from a receipt book for example $20 and only $10 was posted as paid in the computer. I explained that sometimes patients pay copay upfront and upon checkout the copay populated in their system differs from that they gaveme in and in that case I would return monies to the patient - and at times payments are collected by persons other than myself and posted by me as I may have been in a meeting or stepped away from my desk. In these instances - a rceiept was issued by me and the amts posted differed from the receipt - it has always been my practice that when a pt gave me $ (cash) and I was not checking them out I gave them a handwritten receipt as when theycheck out I would give them the computer generated reciept as often the copay for services in this specialty office differ from that which appears ontheir cards and from what is computer generated in their system- These intances took place from Jan 05 to July 05 there were 5 in all with the same circumstances - important to note is that monies are not always in my control as other staff have access as my "batches - encounter froms with payments attached" are at my checkout area and oftentimes I am called away from my desk to help in back - get a chart etc and these items stay next to my pc...where anyone could have accessed them. The called the patients involved who told them they did not recall getting a refund.
ANyway - at the conclusion of this "meeting" as it was called that I would be suspended without pay pending further investigation. They told me it "shouldnt take longer a week."
Needless to say I am going to utilize this time off to start seeking new employemnt as "when" they do come back and say "our bad" I couldnt possibly work there knowing I have no trust or support from upper management.
My question is can they fire me if they cannot prove these monies were in my sole possession 100% of the time?
Can they keep this investigation in my permanent file? Can they tell perspective employers about this? DO I have to disclose that info to a perspective employer?
I am emplyed by a University Hospital - in a Physician office as a Office Coordinator - Iwas called to our HR dept today and told we were meeting to discuss some instances of money that was not accounted for - which turned out to be I was being investigated for missing funds which were in my control. Iwas given 6 instances were they felt I mishandled patient co-pays - the total was approx $80 - $100 in so called mishandled funds. They showed me receipt copies I had hand written out from a receipt book for example $20 and only $10 was posted as paid in the computer. I explained that sometimes patients pay copay upfront and upon checkout the copay populated in their system differs from that they gaveme in and in that case I would return monies to the patient - and at times payments are collected by persons other than myself and posted by me as I may have been in a meeting or stepped away from my desk. In these instances - a rceiept was issued by me and the amts posted differed from the receipt - it has always been my practice that when a pt gave me $ (cash) and I was not checking them out I gave them a handwritten receipt as when theycheck out I would give them the computer generated reciept as often the copay for services in this specialty office differ from that which appears ontheir cards and from what is computer generated in their system- These intances took place from Jan 05 to July 05 there were 5 in all with the same circumstances - important to note is that monies are not always in my control as other staff have access as my "batches - encounter froms with payments attached" are at my checkout area and oftentimes I am called away from my desk to help in back - get a chart etc and these items stay next to my pc...where anyone could have accessed them. The called the patients involved who told them they did not recall getting a refund.
ANyway - at the conclusion of this "meeting" as it was called that I would be suspended without pay pending further investigation. They told me it "shouldnt take longer a week."
Needless to say I am going to utilize this time off to start seeking new employemnt as "when" they do come back and say "our bad" I couldnt possibly work there knowing I have no trust or support from upper management.
My question is can they fire me if they cannot prove these monies were in my sole possession 100% of the time?
Can they keep this investigation in my permanent file? Can they tell perspective employers about this? DO I have to disclose that info to a perspective employer?
