The till is short: check the records before blaming staff

Confirm what the report actually means

Some till reports show gross cash sales; others already subtract refunds or include paid-outs. Read your provider's definitions before building a calculation, or you may subtract the same movement twice. Confirm the date range, register and whether the shift crossed midnight.

Have a second authorised person recount where practical and safe. Record both counts and who performed them. Check ordinary causes such as an incorrect denomination total, a wrong opening float, a card transaction entered as cash or a cash drop recorded against the wrong shift.

Reconcile movements without forcing the result

In this original example, the drawer starts with £100. Gross cash receipts are £450, cash refunds £20, authorised paid-outs £10 and cash drops £300. Expected cash remaining is £100 + £450 − £20 − £10 − £300 = £220.

If the counted drawer is £210, record a £10 shortage. Do not change the opening float or invent a paid-out to make the sheet balance. Verify each movement against its original record, including the separate cash-drop record, while following your shop's secure cash-handling procedure.

Look for patterns in the process

Compare register, shift, transaction type and timing over several incidents. Opposite differences on nearby dates may suggest a recording or allocation problem, but they do not prove one. A shared drawer also limits what you can infer about any individual.

Avoid adopting another shop's 'normal shortage' threshold. Decide your own review process based on the amount, frequency, context and risk. A small repeated discrepancy may deserve investigation even if each instance falls below a convenient round number.

Keep the investigation factual and private

Ask people to explain what happened and what the system showed, without suggesting the answer. Preserve relevant records according to your retention and access rules. Do not share allegations, customer details or screenshots of sensitive transactions in a general staff group.

Acas advises gathering evidence from all sides before deciding whether there is a disciplinary case to answer. If the matter moves beyond reconciliation, follow the applicable fair procedure and obtain advice where needed. A cash difference alone is not proof of dishonesty.

Cash variance record
Date, shift and register:
Expected amount and report basis:
First count and independent recount:
Variance:
Records checked:
Explanation confirmed or still unknown:
Follow-up owner and date:

Further reading: Acas: Deciding to investigate a workplace issue

Fix the step that created the error

If the cause is a confusing refund screen, train and test that action. If it is an unrecorded cash movement, clarify who records it and where. If a report definition was wrong, correct the calculation and check earlier entries rather than blaming the people who used it.

Keep the original record and the correction linked. Review whether the same discrepancy recurs after the change. Do not take money from tips or wages as a quick balancing exercise; any proposed deductions raise separate legal and contractual questions requiring proper consideration.