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False expense report

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c1consulting

Junior Member
New Jersey

Employee submitted a copy of false $5,000 check as a reimbursable relocation expense. How should I handle the situation?What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?
 


cbg

I'm a Northern Girl
Let's start with how you know it's false. I'm not saying you're wrong; I'm saying that to give you anything like an informed answer, we need more detail. ;)
 

c1consulting

Junior Member
Employee sent

a copy of the front of the check. When asked to provide the copy of the back of the check that would show the check has cleared, he said that he misplaced it. When asked to provide the copy of the bank statement that would show the posting of the check, he recanted and said he would only submit other expenses.
 

c1consulting

Junior Member
To answer the question re terms of relocation reimbursement: up to 5,000 for standard relo expenses (apt hunting, travel, meals, moving company). We also agreed on covering part of the cost for breaking his old apartment lease.
 

cbg

I'm a Northern Girl
If he is no longer claiming the $5,000, I'd let it go for now, but document the entire situation in the employee's record and triple check any further expenses he submits.
 

eerelations

Senior Member
...document the entire situation in the employee's record and triple check any further expenses he submits.
Yes, it looks like you may have hired someone who is at least slightly dishonest. If this is the only dishonest thing he ever does, then OK fine - but if he proves to be dishonest later on, then it may behoove you to have this initial incident on record.
 

swalsh411

Senior Member
If you are reasonable certain that this person knowingly submitted a false expense for this large an amount in an attempt to receive monies that he was not rightfully owed then why is there even a question of whether or not he should be terminated?
 

cyjeff

Senior Member
From my years of experience?

If the first thing a new employee does is try to cheat the company out of $5K, I would cut them loose so fast they would wonder what happened.
 

commentator

Senior Member
I agree wholeheartedly. The longer you let the bad apple roll around in your barrel, the worse conditions get in your barrel. If you rescind the job offer or let the person go very quickly after the hire date, you have lost very little, you have paid out very little in wages, and your connection to this person is very short. People who are dishonest are usually systemically dishonest. They'll fake expenses, they'll steal paper from the copy machine, they'll shoplift grapes at the grocery store

Three years down the road, you're pressing charges, trying to get your company finances back in shape, have a list of complaints against this person that is thick as the Old Testament, and you're so frustrated because you've terminated the person for so many reasons that there's no one clear cut one, and they get approved to draw unemployment from your account.

What kind of references did this person have? Can you do a background check of some kind? Caveat employerium
 

cyjeff

Senior Member
I agree wholeheartedly. The longer you let the bad apple roll around in your barrel, the worse conditions get in your barrel. If you rescind the job offer or let the person go very quickly after the hire date, you have lost very little, you have paid out very little in wages, and your connection to this person is very short. People who are dishonest are usually systemically dishonest. They'll fake expenses, they'll steal paper from the copy machine, they'll shoplift grapes at the grocery store

Three years down the road, you're pressing charges, trying to get your company finances back in shape, have a list of complaints against this person that is thick as the Old Testament, and you're so frustrated because you've terminated the person for so many reasons that there's no one clear cut one, and they get approved to draw unemployment from your account.

What kind of references did this person have? Can you do a background check of some kind? Caveat employerium
There is an additional benefit to the ones you have stated above.

If, as a part of normal operations, you immediately fire anyone that steals from you, you send a message to all the other employees.

When I was in retail and someone stole from the store, I would have the thief walked out in handcuffs via the longest route possible between the back room and the squad car.
 

eerelations

Senior Member
From my years of experience?

If the first thing a new employee does is try to cheat the company out of $5K, I would cut them loose so fast they would wonder what happened.
I agree. My previous response was based on the idea that the OP wanted to keep the new employee. After a review of this entire thread, I'm not sure where I got that idea.
 

Beth3

Senior Member
a copy of the front of the check. When asked to provide the copy of the back of the check that would show the check has cleared, he said that he misplaced it. When asked to provide the copy of the bank statement that would show the posting of the check, he recanted and said he would only submit other expenses.
Not only is this employee a thief and a liar, he's not even a good thief and liar.

I'd meet with the employee and ask him if there is any other explanation for what occurred other than he falsified documentation, lied, and attempted to steal $5,000 from the company. Assuming there is none or that he comes up with another bunch of B.S., I'd then terminate his employment.
 

cbg

I'm a Northern Girl
I agree. My previous response was based on the idea that the OP wanted to keep the new employee. After a review of this entire thread, I'm not sure where I got that idea.
Evidently the same place I did, because that was my impression as well.
 

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