u/ScarlettWilkes

This is somewhat of a follow-up on my previous questions about the thieving couple I recently fired. I have since uncovered even more evidence of previous thefts. I filed a police report and I'm trying to decide if I should move forward with pressing charges or not. I want to press charges because, screw them, but I also just want this to be over and done with. They are shit people and probably know other shit people and who knows what they might do.

My first hearing is Monday, for the woman who had her unemployment denied. I have her fake orders (now 3 that I've found) and as part of her defense she sent me screen shots of texts between her and clients of the business in which she disparages both the business and me personally. I guess she didn't read that the definition of misconduct is behavior that is known or should reasonably be known to harm the company. Both theft and slander fit into that, IMO. I don't think she will win.

Anwyay, what I want to know is when do I find out the judge's ruling? The evidence of theft is pretty overwhelming, IMO. Her entire defense seems to be "but I was good at the job". And, the crazy thing is, I wouldn't even dispute that, she was good. But being good doesn't mean you can steal.

The guy's hearing was postponed because, apparently, the state of Illinois needs more than a week to process a video file for a judge. It's in a couple of weeks. I am counting down the days until this is over... So, when will I know??

I'm going to try to make this short. I had a couple that worked for me. The woman was my office manager and after about a year I hired her boyfriend to handle deliveries with the plan that he would learn to do wood finishing. The business is a custom furniture manufacturing company. They live together and both worked for me for more than 6 years.

I found out in April that they were planning on stealing furniture. The woman would write up orders for the production guys and have custom pieces built using materials I paid for and on the clock. I confirmed that these things were being made for this couple on the clock and that they ordered materials on my account, and then I fired them. I also learned that the man was also just taking raw materials and another employee showed me a video of him loading a huge cushion into his car after hours one day. The video was old, but it was the first time I had ever heard of it or seen it. I'm sure the orders that I recently discovered and interrupted in April were not the first time they did this, but I have nothing concrete to prove anything right now.

Naturally, they both filed for unemployment. Initially they were both denied, but then the guy claimed he had no idea what his fiancée was doing and that he was fired only for being guilty by association and was able to get his unemployment approved on that basis. I have witnesses that will testify that he knew and that he specifically set lumber aside for their latest project. So, I appealed and we have a hearing next month. The woman appealed the denial and also has a hearing later this month. Fun times.

These two just won't go away. For a good month they were harassing me about various pieces of furniture they wanted from the shop. I didn't know how to handle it, so I hired a lawyer and I've just been letting him handle it.

I decided I should at least file a police report so I can submit it for the unemployment hearings and possibly use it in a civil suit to recover the cost of the labor and materials later. When I filed the report, the original office said this was mostly civil stuff and wouldn't go anywhere. But then he gave me a number that I could call and have them arrested immediately. Then I got a call from a detective who also asked me if I wanted them to be arrested. I guess that caught me off guard. I thought they would need to do some sort of investigation first, before making an arrest.

Part of me wants them arrested, and another part is worried about retaliation. I have no idea how they could retaliate, but I know they are more than willing to lie, so they could probably come up with something that would get me arrested if they wanted to. I'm sure they can make my life difficult if they want to.

What are the pros/cons to moving forward with this? Is it worth it? I mostly want to recover the cost of the labor and materials they wasted. But I'm sure they have no money, so filing a suit in small claims court probably is not worth it, at least right now.

I feel overwhelmed with this. If anyone has been in a similar situation, how did you handle it? What's the best thing to do?

I'm sure I will get downvoted simply for being an employer, but here goes...

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I had a couple where they both worked for me. The woman was my office manager and the man did finishing prep and furniture deliveries. The business is a custom furniture manufacturing company. They both worked for me for about 7 years. The guy's performance wasn't great, but I kept him because the woman was very competent and I knew my relationship with her would go to crap if I fired her boyfriend.

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Anyway, last month I figured out that they were stealing from me and I terminated both of them right away. They were having furniture made for themselves on the clock using materials I paid for. They were using other employees' labor, not just their own. They never once asked if they could do this.

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They filed for unemployment and I submitted documentation. Initially they were both denied. But they both appealed. The guy's unemployment was then approved because he said he had no idea his girlfriend was doing anything (they live together and this furniture was supposedly for their apartment). I appealed and we have a hearing. I have 2 witnesses that will testify that he was very aware of what was going on. I also was given a video of him loading upholstery foam into his car that he stole. I submitted the video to the judge and the guy, along with photos, the fake orders, the lumber receipt from when they ordered special lumber for their custom dining set.

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I guess I'm wondering what the burden is proof is in a case like this. I have a video of him stealing. He says that he was only taking scraps, but the cushion he took was about 72" long, 30" deep and 8" thick. We would never throw the pieces he used for it away. And, regardless, he never asked if he could take it anyway.

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I'm less worried about the woman's case because she very clearly did make fake orders and had the work done on company time. She didn't even deny it, but I have 3 witnesses I will call in for the hearing as well. I think she thought that pregnancy meant she couldn't be fired for any reason, even theft. Just the lumber alone that they stole was over $1000.

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I guess I'm wondering what I should do to prepare. How much documentation is enough? How many witnesses? Every employee I have would testify for me, but 18 witnesses seems excessive.

My business is hiring. Located in Edison Park.

Eurocraft, Inc. is looking for an office administrator. Eurocraft, Inc is a high-end, custom furniture manufacturer in Chicago. We make wood and upholstered furniture for both residential and commercial clients.

The office administrator should be courteous and comfortable speaking to customers both on the phone and in person. Additionally, this person must have strong written communication skills and strong attention to detail. I'm looking for a self-starter that is ready to learn. The job duties include:

• Answering the phone during business hours and promptly returning messages

• Responding to emails regarding order status and other customer service issues

• Scheduling appointments and maintaining the company calendar

• Writing quotes (email)

• Opening and organizing fabrics; must be able to lift at least 40 pounds as the fabrics can be very heavy

• Meeting with clients in the office to go over details of their orders and ensuring we have all the information we need to fill the order

• Filing estimates and invoices

• Ensuring all pieces are ready for delivery on time; ensuring all pieces from each order are actually included in the delivery

• Giving work orders to the carpentry, finishing and upholstery teams to work on in the correct order

• Making shop drawings upon customer requests – if drawing classes are required, they would need to be taken at night but would be paid for by Eurocraft

• Purchasing supplies for both the office and for production

• Other miscellaneous duties as assigned

The office manager does a lot to keep the company running when the owner is not available and is the face and voice of the company in many regards. The office administrator spends most of their time in the office, but is also on the production floor frequently to answer client questions and questions from the production staff. This is a full-time position and the hours are 7:45 to 4:15 with 30 minutes for lunch and a couple of breaks per day.

This job is fast paced and the time really flies by. It’s important that you be honest, punctual and reliable. There is a lot to learn, but you are not expected to have any specific knowledge on day one. This is a great position for anyone with an interest in interior design and furniture in particular as you will see beautiful, designer furniture daily.

Benefits include paid holidays, paid vacation, sick time, dental and vision insurance, retirement plan and semi-annual bonuses. Eurocraft has a polished casual work environment; jeans are acceptable, athletic wear and sweats are not. The position may be hourly, or salary and the pay is negotiable based on experience. If you're interested, please message me.