Waitress Asks If It's Wrong To Report Coworker For Stealing Tips

OP's coworkers caught her stealing tips but she didn't have any concrete evidence.

Senad

• Published in Interesting
• October 3, 2023

Working at a local pizzeria for five years, OP has seen it all. As the head waitress, they're entrusted with running most lunch shifts solo, along with the support of the kitchen staff.

But when an unexpected long weekend for the local schools leads to a scheduling change, this tale takes an unexpected turn.

On this particular day, OP's boss schedules an extra pair of hands to assist with the lunchtime rush. This additional help is tasked with various duties - answering phones, assisting with dishwashing, and clearing tables.

In the hustle and bustle of the busy day, things get a bit hazy for OP. Amid the chaos, they recall seeing a tip on one of the tables but can't quite remember if they ever picked it up. Unfortunately, OP's memory isn't their strong suit.

They assume they collected the tip but are in for a surprise when they count their earnings at the end of the shift and discover that the $5 bill is nowhere to be found.

Here's where it gets intriguing. As OP grapples with the vanishing tip, they turn to coworkers for advice and solace. Two trustworthy colleagues reveal that they've independently caught the same assisting coworker pilfering tips, with no more than a gentle reprimand as a consequence.

This revelation raises a slew of questions in OP's mind. If two people have witnessed this coworker's illicit actions on separate occasions, how many times has she escaped unnoticed?

OP decides to take a step that might lead to conflict, a path they generally prefer to avoid: they report the tip thievery to their boss and owner.

OP approaches the boss and lays out the situation honestly. They admit that they lack concrete proof but emphasize that two coworkers have indeed caught the tip thief in the act. The boss's response is a call to keep a watchful eye on the suspect, as the pizzeria has live-feed cameras but no recorded evidence.

As word gets around that the tip theft has been reported, the accused coworker is taken aback. She feels betrayed, believing that her coworkers were her friends.

OP works at a waitress at a pizzeria and she's been there for the past five years

OP's boss hired an extra person to help OP out with cleaning

OP saw a tip on one of the tables but she couldn't remember if she picked it up

OP's coworkers said that they caught the new girl stealing tips

OP believed that this must happen pretty often so she told her boss

OP is now wondering if she did the wrong thing by telling her boss

OP pointed out that she was paid less than the new girl because the waitresses get the tips

Everyone knows

She doesn't get to steal it

The boss has to know

Is OP in the wrong for reporting the suspected tip thief, even without concrete proof? It's a classic case of "snitching" versus protecting what's right.

Since OP explained that she's paid less because the tips are supposed to cover the rest of her wages, it's a no-brainer. The girl had no right to take that money, and the only logical step was to tell their boss.

Senad