Letters to the Editor
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Somebody Needs A Beating
LW states, "The day I was employed, I was given the keys to the business and the code for the safe. At that time I realized the trust behind those bestowals and vowed not to break that trust ."
This leads me to wonder why you would need to vow this to yourself. What other trusts have you violated that would make you need to vow not to break this one?
Consider this: If you stole from me while in my employ, getting fired and getting prosecuted would be the least of your worries. I would beat you within an inch of your life, and then I'd go after your family.
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Lawyer. Lawyer, Lawyer, Lawyer
Consult with an attorney as soon as possible.
Other people have told you this, but it bears repeating.
Get a lawyer's advice before doing anything else.
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Pretend your mom is watching you.
"Well, I probably know why I'm doing it. I come from a dysfunctional family in which finances are always tenuous and as a college student I'm always looking to save as much as possible. I just don't know how to stop a behavior I know is wrong."
This is not an excuse. The fact that you know very well "probably" why you're doing it means you know how wrong it is. Stealing bread because you're starving is forgiveable. This, is not, and you know it.
The laws of karma dictate that you will get your own payback someday but why wait? Figure out how much you've been stealing and try to figure out a way to give it back somewhere else, without giving yourself any credit whatsoever. Volunteer some time, just start dropping a twenty on the ground now and then or better yet, figure a way to give it back to your boss by doing something like sneaking in overtime.
Forgive yourself, make it right, and move on.
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A Warning
I worked for a small business, a hair salon ; and from time to time I would take money out of the till for lunch money. I was only paid $6.50 an hour and money was tight and I was hungry. I would put the money back when I got paid. This wasn't an every day thing. Well, one morning when I came into work there were detectives there ! Someone had stolen the entire till. The manager on duty the day before had failed to make a night deposit and odviously someone didn't lock the till. So all the employees were being investigated. I had taken $5.00 out of the till the day before for lunch money. I was very scared they would blame me for the theft of the entire till. So. beware ; you never can tell what might happen. I became very nervous at work after that and not long afterwards I quit my job. It's just not worth it. My suggestion to you is that of many others ; quit that job. You need to get away from that temptation. You probably don't have the money to put everything back at once and besides the overage could cause your boss to investigate. It would be good for you and for her if you could send that money to her when you can afford it. But I think you should get out of there as soon as possible. And let this be a life lesson to you. It would also be good if your next job had nothing to do with handling money. I have a Priest that I can share any thing with, I hope you have someone like that in your life. There are also therapists in my area that I can see on a sliding scale fee. I have been to therapy for $10.00 per session. You need to talk to someone about this , or it's going to stay in your head and affect your life .
peace
peaches
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Quit today!
I worked my way through college; my parents didn't contribute one cent. Sometimes I had to roll pennies in order to eat dinner. And yet I never stole from my employers even though there were plenty of opportunities. I tell you this not to brag or act holier-than-thou. What I'm trying to say is that plenty of people who are tight on cash don't steal. When someone does, there is a psychological issue involved that needs to be understood before a change can take place.
I know a man in his mid forties who commited one crime in his life, a felony, when he was just 19. He has had to admit and explain that felony on EVERY SINGLE job application since. If he doesn't, the employer finds out when they do their check and he doesn't get the job. So he has to, but he often doesn't get the job anyway because even though employers are not supposed to discriminate, they do and it's impossible to prove.
If you continue this, by the time you get caught you will probably have stolen enough for it to be considered a felony. It will pretty much destroy the rest of your life. So stop what you're doing immediately, even if it means resigning today! You can anonymously send your employer the cash you stole in the mail a year from now so she won't associate it with you. You can find a job that's impossible to steal from. You're going to need therapy sooner or later. Why not get it now, rather than later after your life is wrecked? Maybe your college offers free counselling.
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stop.
maybe you've only stolen a small amount or maybe it's much more than you are willing to admit to. but let me tell you one thing: you have to stop.
i had a friend who worked for another friend's parents and over the course of a few years she stole many thousands of dollars from them. they finally figured it out (and she admitted it) and it was devastating to the parents, and all of us who were friends with her. but not quite as devastating when several days later she killed herself.
in between finding out about the embezzlement and her suicide, i had resolved to do my best to help her out of this mess by helping her see that she had to take responsibility for her actions. she needed to pay the money back. in return, i would remain friends with her and be a support system. our mutual friend, the daughter of the people she stole from felt the same way. after a gross breach of trust we were still willing to help her.
we didn't get the chance. our friend had already stolen so much, and felt so guilty and angry and trapped that she felt her only answer was to end her life. i doubt she is the first person to do this.
so do you see why you have to stop?