If this is what the credit crunch and tough economic times are doing to business owners and managers, HR might have to discipline more employees.
Simon Cremer manages a carpet fitting business in England.
He suspected a contractor, Mark Gilbert, of stealing a company check and cashing it for 845 pounds (about $1,460 U.S. dollars).
Suggested solution: Gather evidence and call police.
What Cremer did: He marched Gilbert through the streets of Witham with his hands bound behind his back and a sign with “Thief, I stole 845 pounds, on my way to police station,” on it. He even invited along the local newspaper. You can see a picture of the spectacle online.
To Cremer’s surprise, when he got to the station, police arrested him on suspicion of false imprisonment, assault and theft. He was put in a cell for the night, too.
Gilbert was also arrested on suspicion of theft.
Both men were released.
Now, Gilbert is suing Cremer. He claims he was beaten up and threatened with tools by Cremer and three other workers.
In an interview with The Daily Mail, Cremer explained the business pressures he’s feeling these days. “I’m a small businessman, struggling to survive the credit crunch, sometimes working 20-hour days to make a living, and I need to be able to trust the sub-contractors I employ.”
This story has been getting a great deal of play in the British media. Citizens are lining up on both sides, some saying they don’t blame Cremer for taking the law into his own hands.
A factor that has, perhaps, added to some people’s positive thoughts about what Cremer did: He’s also told the British media that earlier this year his wife was battling breast cancer.
On Nov. 27, Cremer will learn if he’s to be charged.
