Dishonesty at Work

Amina: Have you heard the latest news? 

Shane: No, what is it? 

Amina: Charlie was fired last Friday after the company found out that he had been cooking the books for over six months and had embezzled more than $50,000. 

Shane: Charlie? I don’t believe it! He is the most upstanding person I know. I can imagine him stretching the truth now and then, but he’s the last person I would think of as being truly dishonest. I would never think to question his integrity. 

Amina: It wasn’t greed that made him do it. His wife has been ill and he couldn’t pay the medical bills. I think he had the best of intentions in trying to get his wife the healthcare she needed, but it was only a matter of time before he got caught, no matter how well he covered his tracks. 

Shane: Well, I know he’s a bad liar and he’s not known to make mistakes, so I’m not surprised that someone caught on pretty quickly when there were irregularities in the accounting. What I don’t understand is, if he was having financial problems, why didn’t he tell anybody? Some of us may have helped. 

Amina: I don’t know. Maybe he felt desperate and just didn’t know what to do. I’m sure his wife being sick has been difficult for him. I don’t think the company is going to press charges, though, under the circumstances. 

Shane: I’m glad to hear that. That’s the last thing he needs. It’s clear that he showed poor judgment, but he’s not a criminal. 

Amina: That’s the general consensus. I’m thinking of taking up a collection to help him out. Do you think the company would mind? 

Shane: Considering he was fired, I’d keep it a secret from management, but I think it’s a great idea.