Cannabis store HR officer slaps worker amid alleged embezzlement
Former employees of a cannabis retail chain accused managers and a human resources (HR) officer of falsely accusing them of embezzlement and extorting money. The HR officer also reportedly physically assaulted one of the workers.
Two Thai men, who previously worked for the cannabis company, shared CCTV footage with the Facebook news page Social Hunter 2022. The footage shows a female HR officer slapping a colleague in the face. In the video, four managers dressed in black shirts, the HR officer in a green shirt, and the victim in a white shirt are visible.
The video depicts the managers gathering around the worker in the white shirt, who is seen arguing with the HR officer. During the exchange, the HR officer is heard saying…
“You can complain to anyone but not Ben.”
The worker began to respond but was interrupted when the HR officer slapped him in the face and walked away. It was later reported that “Ben” is one of the company’s shareholders.
The two former employees, who shared the video with the public, also spoke to Hone Krasae, revealing that the HR team reportedly uncovered embezzlement during a special promotional campaign and accused all 30 workers of being involved.
The HR officer and managers allegedly demanded to inspect the mobile phones of all employees to identify those responsible, as the company operates more than 11 shops nationwide.
Crime evidence shared
A suspicious message was reportedly found on the phone of the worker in the white shirt, who also allegedly made negative remarks about Ben.
According to the whistle-blowers, the HR officer and managers demanded compensation of 100,000 baht from each worker accused of involvement. Those unable to pay were reportedly asked to contribute between 40,000 and 50,000 baht instead. Workers were also allegedly coerced into signing documents admitting guilt. Those who refused were forced to resign.
The two former employees stated that they did not know whether the worker in the white shirt committed the crime or not.
The HR officer, identified as Lek, defended her actions, claiming she discovered the embezzlement over the past five to six months and already provided evidence to the police. She admitted to slapping the worker but justified it as a response to his harsh complaint about Ben.
Lek accused every worker of being involved in the crime. They allegedly sold products at a normal price instead of offering a special discount according to the store’s promotion and then pocketed the difference.
Lek insisted that she had never forced any employees to pay compensation, asserting that those who paid did so willingly.
As of now, there have been no further updates on the incident from Thai news agencies.
