Woman Fires Employee on the Spot After She Spends $2,000 on Company Credit Card for ‘Farewell Party,’ Despite Her Never Actually Quitting, Causing Office Uproar

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    r/AITAH • 15 hr. ago . Frosting Regular1328 AITA for firing my assistant after she used company money to throw herself a "farewell party"... but didn't actually quit?
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    So, I (28F) own a mid-sized tech consulting firm and recently hired a new assistant, Lily (26F), a few months ago. She seemed competent, though she had a quirky personality and sometimes blurred professional lines.
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    Last week, I was out of town for a conference, and while I was away, Lily emailed everyone in the company, announcing she was "leaving to pursue new horizons" and threw herself a massive farewell party at the office. She used the company credit card to order catering, decorations, custom cake, and even arranged
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    for a bartender to set up a drink station in the break room. The total bill was close to $2,000.
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    When I came back, I was shocked. Not only did I never receive a resignation from her, but she also hadn't actually quit! When I confronted her, she said she was "testing" how much people appreciated her and wanted to see if anyone would "convince her to stay." She called it a "social experiment."
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    I was furious and fired her on the spot for misuse of company funds and deceptive behavior. Now, she's blowing up on social media, claiming I'm a "soulless boss" who has "no respect for mental health and personal exploration." She says I should have appreciated her "creative way of bonding with the team."
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    Some friends are telling me I might have overreacted and that maybe I should have just docked her pay or given her a warning instead. I'm torn because I do value my employees, but this felt like an absurd breach of trust.
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    So, AITA for firing her immediately over a "farewell party" that wasn't even real?
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    Cursd818 14h ago • NTA • Report her to police for fraud or theft. Pursue the amount she spent in court. Ask a lawyer if you can respond on social media that she stole $2k from your business. If he says go
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    ahead, do it. And reconsider if you want to be friends with people who seriously think you should allow yourself and your business to be abused like that. Why don't they want you to stand up for yourself? Are they similarly used to taking advantage of you?
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    • zoyarosse 15h ago • NTA. Lily's actions were completely inappropriate and unprofessional. Using company funds for a personal party without authorization is a serious offense, and her social experiment excuse is ridiculous. You have every
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    right to be furious and to fire her for her behavior.
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    roxywalker 14h ago NTA. She took advantage of access to the company credit card, misused funds, and committed fraud by lying to the entire company about her departure and celebrating at your expense. Any one of those is a reason
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    to separate her employment from the company, but all three? That's grounds for suing her because she's taken her ridiculous stance to social media to blast you. All you did was hire the wrong person for the job and go to a conference. Now she's pivoting towards slander. No way.
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    Downtown_Ba... • 14h ago • You own a tech company, so you are not uneducated. Yet you question whether you were inappropriate for firing someone who embezzled $2000 to throw herself a party? I question whether this is real!
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    Firing and charges are what is appropriate in this scenario. No one in their right mind would think otherwise. This is straight-up theft which is an immediate termination offense. If you want to give her a chance, then give her a chance to not go to jail by not
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    pursuing charges. But as for her job? I wouldn't even allow her back in the parking lot
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    llama_llama_48... • 14h ago • Overreacting?! Her actions were completely inappropriate and I hope her final paycheck is docked. "Social experiment" my Creative gibberish nonsense. With some companies, she'd have been charged with theft or fraud. She should consider herself lucky.
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    A warning comes off she's late everyday for a week. That wasn't this. NTA.
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    Illustrious_Na... • 15h ago • NTA. She's entitled and a crook.

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