Yeppers, sounds like it could be some addiction issue, but regardless, she stole from you. Time to find a new helper.
best of luck.

Sounds to me like she's found a way to use you and she doesn't think you realize it/and or care.I'd call her on it and see what she has to say.If you don't,she will continue to do it..JMO
Kathi

Do you have gambling in your area? If not maybe it is drugs.

I'd let her go.

Gayle

I'd question her too. Maybe she has a gambling problem. But, I'd be finding new help. It sounds like you've been more than fair.
Leslie

Whether you confront her or not or allow her to continue working as your helper, I wouldn't leave her with ANY of my money - cash or otherwise.

She's shown you she is not to be trusted.

No matter her circumstances, if she stole from you, it's wrong. There are lots of people who are laid off, out of work, etc. That does not give ANY of us the right to steal from others.

I'm sure you've heard the old saying, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."

And lastly, listen to your gut/inner voice. I've been told it's your angel talking to you.

I'm sure curious about why she lost the nursing job. What do they know that you don't?
Ron

So true Ron. With the shortage of nurses, somthing is rotten in Denmark. Maybe she had her hand in the 'drug till'.

What is wrong with people???
I'm smelling something too and it STINKS!
I think I'd have to let her go myself. Either that or specifiy checks only for paying bills.
She's taking advantage of you Mallory. I'm sure you know that.
I hope you get something figured out.

I would also like to know why she lost a nursing job. Was she stealing from patients or from coworkers' purses? Got caught doing drugs? Do you know for a fact that she even had this job or LPN license? It all could be a line of bunk.

In any case, you are uncomfortable (rightly so) having her continue to work for you. You don't owe her anything.

One of these times she will just not even stop to pay a bill and will just keep all the money (and you may not know about it for weeks). Let her go before she puts you in debt or ruins your business. There are plenty of honest people who would be happy to earn what you are paying this woman.

What her problem might be is not the issue.
The problem is you are wary of her and for good reason.
From how I read your circumstances you could have done these 'jobs' yourself and broke even. She is costing you money and cannot explain it.

Don't you require her to get receipts when the bills are paid?

Get rid of her.
Do the job yourself or hire another person.

Stop wasting time and money figuring her out.

Lori

Your are a professional person who owns their own business. Do not allow the people who work for you to pay bills, handle cash etc regardless how inconvenient it is for you. You need to let this person go, and if she has any keys to your property, get the locks changes. In fact under the circumstances, she should not even be on your property, unless she needs your services. If you need help, go to either the High School or College and they will have students they have investigaged to work for you. Just check age and make sure they have a DL and Insurance. Being a senior citizen, and observing many, I truthfully would have the young people work for me. Many seniors have issues they refuse to acknowledge, where it be money or health. Don't let her "cry" threaten, or beg. For some reason she feels she needs more money and will take it any way or any way she can and sees no problems. Be firm Be Smart Be Business

You two USED to be great team until.....SHE screwed it up. I would probably say that to her. Catching her in that lie is reason enough not to ever trust her again, and cause for termination. I know it's a hard spot to be in. You know what good worker she WAS. She has a problem ,and you don't need it. Hire someone else.

I'm sorry for your disappointment in this person.. It's so hard when you've trusted someone and liked working with them -- then to find out that they've betrayed your trust.
I would think with your attitude towards your workers that it won't be hard to replace her. However, as others have advised -- I wouldn't let the new person 'make cash payments without getting/giving receipts.'

Well it obviously goes deeper than this one note. But techincally if you've agreed to pay someone to do a service for you, you've hired them. But that's beside the point here...

Either way, good luck! :-)

You are WAY too kind! Time to find someone else. Doesn't matter what she's doing with the $$$, she's stolen from you and lied and...to me... that's enough to say "See ya". Don't keep her around. If she's that desperate for cash, who knows what she may be capable of...

Not only did she steal from you, but she could have been hoping for an opportunity to steal from your customers as well.

Do you know anything about her "employment"? Are you sure she even HAD another job? It sounds to me like she is making stuff up, especially to make herself look good. A symptom of drug abuse or just plain delusions...
Sorry you have to go through this, it isn't fair to you.

Nurses who work on staff do not get jealous of agency nurses' pay. We could care less because they are there to fill an empty slot and believe me, we thank them for coming in to work a shift with us because it would've been a heck of a lot worse for US if they hadn't. I think she's lying to you plain and simple.

I also don't see how she could be working all that overtime at a nursing job and working for you too. When did she have the time?

"to stop and pay a bill out of the money, which was to be $125. When she brought me the balance it was short $25. I asked her about it, and she said she'd paid $150 on the bill. I didn't think anything of it until I spoke with the company this morning. They told me the payment was $125. Oh, brother."

" as she called in the payment after she got home that day."

Oh brother, I don't get it. If she had $125 cash to pay on a bill, but said she paid $150, then she would have $150 in her pocket, cuz she "called in the payment" which means what? She never gave anyone any cash?

Jennmonkey, the $30 comment was in the context of the story - that she was always asking for more. I didn't say anything like the rest of what you mention. I don't know where you got it from or why you used it to defend Lori. Lori didn't even say anything like that. I said it to the woman because I paid her $25 for the run, but she was asking for more. There is nothing in this story about the size of jobs. Nor is what Lori indicated that I am wasting money and time when I can do them myself. It came from nowhere except her own intention.

NyceFarm, you and Uxorial asked the same thing, which is a good question. Because I never saw her at work or saw a paystub, all I can say is I have called her in the wee hours of the morning only because I knew she was at work. At her house, her husband answers the phone if I call after 11pm to let me know he hates calls at that hour LOL. I wouldn't dare call their house at 1 or 2 in the morning. A couple times she came around 3 or 4am to pick up that morning's deliveries. That's the time she got off work on those nights and came here so as not to have to make the trip again. I'm only 3 or 4 miles off her route, whereas she lives quite a ways away. It was better for her to come at that hour than to come back this way at 8am. Also, she directed me to a website for certification last year. She needed me to download some forms because she didn't have a computer. I realize none of that is proof though. So, I guess the answer is I really don't know, but I can't see all the charades either.

LindaKathy, nope she didn't pay cash. She paid by debit card. I expected she would stop at the place and pay, but she preferred not having to stop. I wouldn't ask anyone to use their credit card, but that she did was fine with me. She called with the confimation number and brought the balance of the money the next day, less the $150. This was three weeks ago. Is that you were asking?

Kathleen, that makes a lot of sense. As far as being tired, she fell alseep on my sofa or laid down in the boys' room several times after getting off work. One morning, she got off at 7 and was supposed to come here to pickup an order. It was to be delivered at that funeral home two miles from her house. She didn't show up and called around 8 to tell me she fell asleep in the nursing home's parking lot. I could understand that happening, knowing how often I work through the night. However, I don't want to give the impression that she was working so much for me. As I mentioned, business was way down the last year, so I didn't have to call her all that steadily.

I was just trying to point out how it could have been a misunderstanding, but nevermind, I'm not getting into that.

Anyways, I don't get it either. If you had her pick up checks and cash, and pay the bill out of that money, then how is it that she ended up paying with a debit card? What balance did she give/show you that showed she had spent $150? Are you thinking she got the remaining $25 out of an ATM with the debit card? If she did use a debit card, couldn't you just call the bank and see all the transactions?

The trips she makes for me often means collecting money (or checks) from customers. The last time she collected any was three weeks ago. I asked her, as I often have, to stop and pay a bill out of the money, which was to be $125.

She did not have my card.
She paid the bill with her own card.

Kathleen is right. Nurses wouldn't be jealous. Agency nurses don't necessarily make more....they don't get benefits which count for a lot. They also wouldn't lose their jobs for leaving the floor. She might have received a warning though if she left the floor without telling someone she was going. If one hospital didn't want her, another would.....here we could pick and choose where we want, everyone needs nurses. There is more to this than she is telling you. I have a gut feeling it does have to do with money......perhaps sticky fingers?

Mallory, is this the same person who always had to use a customer's restroom? If so, I think I would really be worried! Time to let her go.

Tami

LOL Yeah, Tami. She walked in here this morning and headed straight for the bathroom. Yep, time to go.

I made a few phone calls today. Gonna have a few people put notices on their church bulletin boards. Marie, I once thought young people would be the better idea, especially since 19" & 20" TVs have to be carried. However, I have generally found them to be undependable and unmotivated in many cases. People 40 and over have worked out best. I'll just have to see who inquires, I guess.

You wrote: "The trips she makes for me often means collecting money (or checks) from customers. The last time she collected any was three weeks ago. I asked her, as I often have, to stop and pay a bill out of the money, which was to be $125.
She did not have my card.
She paid the bill with her own card."

****
Perhaps I am misunderstanding what you meant but that comes across as if you are co-mingling your business expenses with her personal funds. Is that true?

She picked up at least $150 cash payment(s) from a customer(s); i.e., accounts receivable.

She then payed one of your bills with HER personal debit card; i.e., her personal money. If that bill was for your company, it was accounts payable. If that bill was personal it appears you are co-mingling business and personal funds.

Don't you use invoices? Don't you issue and receive at least receipts?

That is not good business practice. What does your tax preparer say about these activities?

In any event, I would not be paying bills of $125. in cash without (at the very least) getting a receipt. It is always much better to pay bills with a check which provides a permanent record.

Have you ever watched Judge Judy?

ThunderboltLee, businesses receive invoices. Customers who are not a business receive receipts. Copies of both are on file. I receive a salary from the business and do what I want with my money. No, you cannot see them, as that almost seems to be your next question. I do not owe you any accounting of my business accounts. What does it have to do with my question?

I was trying to be helpful. In small businesses, it is easy for 'casual employees' (helper is the word you use) to become casual friends and with that lots of personal information can be exchanged.

As you said, you have observed ongoing weird behaviors for months now. You supplied good examples of ongoing weird behavior and actions, and I can see them, too.

Your response was interesting and very illuminating, too.

As to your question: "...doesn't it all sound fishy to you?" Yes, it all sounds fishy.

Have a good day!