Cottonwood Financial - The Cash Store Fired... but found out DM lied in termination report to save Bestfriend's job... Palestine Texas

In the middle of September 2008, my Fiance' lost his job & I was the only one working. We have 2 children together & were currently struggling with paying bills & keeping food on the table.

Towards the end of September one of my fellow co-workers (I'll call her Sara) were over 20.00 in her register. If we are ever over or short in cash we are supposed to file a deviation report to let the Accounting department know. Well, Sara decided that she was just going to keep the money under her keyboard of her computer incase someone came back the next day & said that we shorted them 20.00.

The money ended up sitting there for about 3 or 4 days. At the time it was in the middle of pay periods & I was short on cash. All three of us that worked in the small store were sitting at our registers counting down our money so we could go home. I hesitated about asking, but knew that I needed gas money to get to work the next day. Also, my family was getting tired of helping my family because they were having a hard time too. So I asked Sara if I could borrow it until payday, & then I would pay it back. She said sure & handed me the money. I felt akward about taking the money, but I really needed it. When payday came around I had spent all my money paying rent, buying food, & paying bills before I realized that I needed repay the money I'd borrowed.

On October 1, 2008 I made a phone call to a family member & asked if I could borrow 20.00 so I could replace the money I borrowed. They said they would be in town the next evening to bring it to me. That day our District Manager & Regional Manager were in the store. The were doing their routine audit report they do monthly. That evening when we closed we all were counting down our registers. Sara was 5.00 short & confronted me in front of our DM saying "Do you have that 20.00 that we were over the other day?" Ofcourse I was embarassed & mad at the situation.

I felt like I had been "thrown under the bus". I said "no, but I will tomorrow". Our DM came over & began to count Sara's register to see if she had just miss counted, but she had not. Then the DM began to count the safe to see if the 5.00 was in there. I told them if they needed me to call me & I left to pick my children up. When I got home I found out that my electricity had been turned off because I was too far behind on the bill, so we had to stay with my in-laws that night.

The next day October 2, 2008, the DM was in the office again which is not a rare thing. She is usually super friendly & we have hung out before, so I considered her kindof a friend. Well, the whole day she was rude & short with me. I felt like a thief for not having the money. I decided to take my lunch break around 2:00 p.m. because I could not handle the atmosphere. No one was really talking to me either.

When I came back to work at 2:30pm the DM spoke to each one of us working individually in the back of the store. She asked me about the 20.00 that was missing. I told her exactly what had happened. About an hour later she left & shortly after Sara left also for the day. I talked to the Store Manager after everyone had left & asked his opinion on what company I should use to get my electricity turned on with. He said maybe I should wait.

I thought this was odd, but I needed electricity so proceded to make a call & get it turned on. Right after I hung up with the electrical company our DM came back into the store. She proceded to lock the door and started to read me "the script". The Script is what they read to you to let you know that you have been fired. I was shocked & started crying because now neither me or my Fiance' had a job. She told me to get all my things & leave the store ASAP.

I understood that I shouldn't have taken the money, but I did not steal it. In the company's eyes I did. I was hurt that Sara would point me out like that. The next day I filed for unemployment just for the hell of it, but I didn't seriously think I was going to get it. About 2 months later I received a call from the Texas Work Force asking about why I was fired. During the call I was told what was wrote on the termination report.

The termination report said that I had stolen 25.00 instead of 20.00, & that all the missing money had came out of my register. It also said that it was my responsibility to file the deviation report. I was upset because that was not what happened. I knew that they were trying to cover Sara so she could keep her job.

Now let me tell you a little bit about Sara. Sara is BESTFRIENDS with the DM & the DM was actually in Sara's wedding recently before this happened as a bridesmaid. They hang out all the time and call each other daily. They go shopping together & go get their nails done together. Everything is together! The DM even threw Sara a wedding shower & paid for everything. Also, when the Wii Fit's came out the DM actually called Sara & asked her to drive 30 minutes away and buy the Wii Fit for her. She told her to not worry about clocking out and to log the miles she drove on her mileage sheet so she would get paid for her time & gas.

So it didn't surprise me that Sara didn't get fired for not reporting the overage in the first place. Everything was blamed on me so I'd be the only one fired. I understand that I shouldn't have taken the money, but honestly if they weren't going to fire both of us I think they should have atleast written us both up. I WAS NOT THE ONLY ON INVOLVED!!

Ashley
Palestine, Texas
U.S.A.