Q: I am a server in a restaurant. A customer accused me of adding a $4.tip. Customer nor restaurant have receipts.
What should i do to protect myself?
A:
Nothing. Nothing means NOTHING. Don't talk to law enforcement about it. Don't talk to your employer about it. If either of them want to discuss it with you, politely reply that you will be happy to discuss it with them IF, and only if, your lawyer can be present, Then go hire a layer and do what he tells you. $4.00 is a very small amount of money to get arrested over, but even though its a minor crime a conviction can have significant adverse consequences with respect to future employment.
All that said, there is a high probability you will be fired, and in Alabama there will be nothing you can do about it. Alabama is an employment-at-will state, where the Alabama Supreme Court has ruled that an employer can fire you for no reason, or even a wrong reason. There are a few exceptions to this rule that do not apply to your fact situation.
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