OK, this is a little complicated, but bear with me, if you will.
To make it as simple as possible, I work for a man who is an “owner” and certainly the “boss”, but is still not the entire company. He’s in the process of buying the place I work at, but hasn’t paid it off yet, and still must answer to the real boss. We’ll call my boss Chaz, and the real boss Mike.
Now Mike doesn’t really know me. I’ve worked for him, essentially, under different “owners”, for 9 years. He’s an invisible owner, and apparently I’ve been invisible to him. I see him about twice per year, and each time he introduces himself. For the last 3 years or so I’ve said “Yes, Mike, we’ve met. I’m Sami.” He then always replies something to the effect of, “Yes, of course, you’re Sami.” He might my know name on paper, but doesn’t really know what I do for him. Until two years ago his partner kept in touch with all of his “Owners” and Managers (that’s what I am). But, then, his partner died.
So, I work for Chaz, who is buying the place from Mike. Chaz is supposed to pay Mike X amount/month, plus a percentage of the profits. Chaz also has a partner, who happens to be his ex-wife (they were still married when they got into this, now they’re divorced, but still business partners). There is at least one other partner, although I think she holds only 3 or 4 percent.
This is my issue: Chaz constantly takes quite a bit of cash out of the till whenever he has the need for cash. This is quite often. We did some math and estimated 50K/year, minimum for the last 3 years. What he does with it, I don’t know. He does this just by ‘voiding’ $$ out of the register.
This bothers me on several levels. For one, he’s no longer paying gross reciept tax on that money. For two, both of his partners are getting screwed on their cut of the profits. Thirdly, Mike, the real owner, is not getting his real percentage. On top of that, I’m supposed to make sales bonuses, but my bonuses are based on profit margin, and when Chaz decides to take 10% of my weekend sales it’s certainly going to effect my margin. I haven’t gotton a bonus in 4 months, even though real sales are up. His ex recently lectured me about the profit margin being down. I knew why it was down, but kept my mouth shut. We’ll just tighten the belt some more, I thought. So yeah, this is costing me $ as well.
Mike, and the other partners have no idea this is happening, and Chaz assumes I’ll keep my mouth shut.
So, at long last, after better than 3 years of this nonsense, here’s my dilema:
I want to turn Chaz in, to his partners, to the IRS, to his boss. The problem is, if I do I’ll certainly be fired. The one guy who’d give me a good reference (Mike’s Late Partner, mentioned above) is dead. Mike doesn’t really know who I am. Chaz’s partners are minority partners, and might suffer themselves if I blow the whistle, which probably wouldn’t make them happy with me.
I’m planning on leaving town anyway, so I don’t mind losing the job, but I need the job reference from someone in the company. I’ve spent most of the last 9 years with this company. I’m great at what I do, but who’ll believe me without that reference? At the same time, I’m sick of being a party to Chaz cheating everyone around him.
And, I’m a little afraid of being a party to his theft. He’s my boss, what can I do? Theoretically it’s his money. And he is the boss, I can’t tell him ‘no’. But, will I be in trouble (legally) for keeping my mouth shut? It is tax evasion, after all.
So, do I wait until I leave to say something? Never say a word? Somehow do this anonymously? Any suggestions are welcome.
Thanks in advance.
~S