'Stop being a drama queen': Loyal employee gets accused of stealing $40 from the register, hostile manager gaslights them

Author image for Jesse Kessenheimer
Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Jan 29, 2024 6:00 PM EST

A theft accusation is a tough burn to come back from– especially in the workplace. As a server in a restaurant, you automatically assume responsibility for all of the incoming cash into the restaurant, meaning that you're the one honorable barrier between what's left in the register at the end of the night and what comes home with you in your pocket. Because of this delicate balance of trust, a server's credibility is a fragile, yet desperately important thing to maintain if you're a restaurant manager. You wouldn't want to scare off the last of the good ones over a feeble hunch… right? 

But that's exactly what one hot-headed manager did in our next story.

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  • Although it's unsettling to discover that your register is short $40 at the end of the night, managers need to keep the perspective. $40 is just $40. However, when u/DarklordFratboy got accused of theft in the restaurant, he realized that $40 was apparently worth his dignity. 

  • Scroll for the entire story of how one server was brought to the brink of quitting when a hostile manager accused him of stealing… without ever checking the security cameras. 

  • 01
    r/antiwork Posted by u/DarklordFratboy 10 hours ago Restaurant owner claims register has been short $40 past 2 days but I keep getting gaslit Told him to pull the camera footage but he refused to. Keeps cutting me off and reprimanding me. Running on a clover POS where all employees
    via DarklordFratboy
  • 02
    clock in and out including kitchen staff. Work 2 jobs and they know I'm moving into a new apartment on Friday ($40 is 3% of $1500). Only work there on Mondays and Saturday nights but picked up a shift for a college girl so she can do her homework.
    via DarklordFratboy
  • 03
    Am I being sensitive like he claims I am or am I being gaslit? Been there from previous owner and have been with the new owner since July 2022. Been at their family dinners for thanksgiving, Christmas and even his brother's (co-owner) wedding
    via DarklordFratboy
  • 04
    Sorry that conversation has been bothering me. You know I'll never you over and you should never question my loyalty right? I get that you're not pointing fingers but it feels that way. your feelings Business only Stop being a drama queen and trying to make it about yourself EVERY direction I give you will never come from my feelings It's just business Delivered
    via DarklordFratboy
  • 05
    Diplogeek 8 hr. ago Man, if someone spoke to me like that, especially after refusing to pull camera footage to see who actually may have taken the money, I would be out that door with zero notice. your feelings? No, his feelings. He can see how he feels when he's scrambling to find someone to cover on Monday and Saturday nights.
    via Diplogeek
  • 06
    No, you're not being sensitive. This guy is a and he's treating you with total disrespect. If you absolutely need this second job and can't quit until you find something else, you should at least decline any and all requests to cover shifts or work extra shifts going forward. This guy clearly has zero respect for you and also has no idea of how to speak to other adults.
    via Diplogeek
  • 07
    Bridge23UX 4 hr. ago Especially over $40. Come on. How much time you going to waste as a business owner over $40? 130 Reply Share bucket_of_dogs. 2 hr. ago About $40's worth of time.
    via Bridge23Ux
  • 08
    stew_going 2 hr. ago Somehow, there's a lot of people who don't appreciate that their time costs money too. There's a reason why so many companies factor in breakage.
    via stew_going
  • 09
    rollwithhoney 1 hr. ago it's worth getting to the bottom of... using the camera footage. it's not worth chasing a good employee away over
    via rollwithhoney
  • 10
    Aresmar 4 hr. ago Yeah. I'm a peaceful dude but this is the kinda stuff that if said to my face would start a fight. The fact he feels okay talking to his employees like this says volumes about his character and likely his business. Like others have said, I'd be looking for another job, and when interviewed and asked why I'm switching
    via Aresmar
  • 11
    I would show them this text. I would leave at the best time to screw them over with zero notice and would post this interaction to review sites everywhere I could. I usually try to be as professional as possible because I work in a small city, but this kind of interaction would be torn apart by the industry in my city. And rightfully so. this dude or chick.
    via Aresmar
  • 12
    Brox42 - 3 hr. ago The owner definitely took the money. Reply Share ... Vote Castal - 2 hr. ago I had a boss like this before and I'm pretty sure it was her teenage son taking the money. This was a convenience store, and after every shift we cashiers would put register money in a bag and drop it through a slot in her office door. She "lost" her keys, and someone was regularly going into the office and taking money from the bags.
    via Brox42
  • 13
    One day she was ranting to me about it, and she shot down every suggestion I had -- change the locks, install a camera in the office, even just inform head office the keys were lost. Her "solution" was to sit silently in the dark office during her most-suspected worker's overnight shift to catch them in the act. She sat in the dark for eight hours and that coworker didn't enter the office once.
    via Brox42
  • 14
    This woman's son worked some shifts at the store and was known to let his friends come in and take whatever they wanted for free. Maaaaaybe he was also nicking cash every now and then, lady! Maybe he had easy access to your keys because he lived with you! Some people are just too stupid to be managers.
    via Brox42
  • 15
    Google5urfer 4 hr. ago This, id be in the car headed to work if he was there. We'd have a conversation and I'd be quitting. I would never allow someone to make me feel less human. Me and my feelings matter. Never let someone steal your dignity from you. You can literally walk a city block and find 5 jobs. Its not worth it.
    via Google5urfer
  • 16
    blamethefae 10 hr. ago That's an unhinged text to send a coworker. 1.7k Reply Share DarklordFratboy OP 10 hr. ago that's the owner 811 ... Reply Share NoctRob 9 hr. ago Somehow even worse if it's the owner. Do you actually need this job?
    via blamethefae
  • 17
    bluhat55 3 hr. ago Sorry this happened to you. Sounds to me like the owner was with money management and didn't know how to treat people.
    via bluhat55
  • 18
    Bridge23Ux 4 hr. ago That's unacceptable and abusive language. Dudes bugging over $40? Very likely someone was given incorrect change or counted incorrectly.
    via Bridge23Ux
  • 19
    Hairless Houdini 3 hr. ago Sounds like he's the one in his feelings & knows he's wrong and gets all defensive because he knows he's wrong ✩ Vote Reply Share Nevermind04 3 hr. ago This is a hostile work environment. If you can show a pattern of this kind of behavior, labor attorneys often do free consultations.
    via HairlessHoudini
  • 20
    freakwent 4 hr. ago management but it's not unhinged. It's about $40. Its not about feelings, it just isn't. It's "You stole $40". "I did not". The end.
    via freakwent
  • 21
    Lezantas 9 hr. ago Great opportunity, find another job and get out at the worst possible moment without previous notice. Whatever they try to say reply with "its not about feelings, strictly business"
    via Lezantas
  • 22
    maxis2bored 6 hr. ago Haha, and when boss says "you can't leave me hanging like this!" Tell him to "stop being a drama queen and trying to make it about yourself. "
    via mazis2bored
  • 23
    Key_Baseball_9938 9 hr. ago If my boss sent me a message like this no matter how close we may be, I would quit on the spot
    via Key_Baseball_9938
  • 24
    Baballega 6 hr. ago . Same, he would never see our heart from me again. Number blocked and I'm not showing up ever again. OP, don't ever let anyone speak to you like this. It's a matter of respect. No need to retaliate, but the message would be loud and clear when he's trying to get a hold of you and you've goasted him.
    via Baballega

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boss worker stolen employee manager stealing job server servers register work coworkers working restaurant cashier employees supervisor workplace thieving Reddit company coworker business thief
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