I am a manager of a restaurant (corporate owned) and I was suspended today (with pay) to investigate a cash shortage. Last night I was the closing manager and the daily cash came up $400 short. There were three managers on the shift yesterday, including myself, and there was NO verification with me for cash reconciliation when I took the shift. When I reconciled the cash @ close last night, we showed $400 short. I had the cashier verify the money with me and she signed a log (store procedure) that the deposits were verified and correct. I contacted my General Manager and Director via voice mail to let them know of the shortage. Typically when there is a shortage, there was a mistake in one of the deposits and is found when the deposits hit the bank.
Today when I went to work the General Manager asked me to write a detailed statement of the events leading up to the shortage at the end of the night. After doing so, he informed me that I was suspended, with pay, so the company could complete its investigation and verify the deposits. He asked for my keys to the restaurant and asked me to leave.
I called Employee Relations after the suspension (all suspensions and terminations go through E.R.) to discuss the matter further. They informed me that this was their procedure for investigations and once the deposits are verified at the bank (which would take 4-5 days), they GM would contact me with the investigation results. I asked E.R. the following questions...
1. This was the first time in my 14 months of employment that I have EVER had any issued with cash. Other manager's have been short more than $400 and have NOT been suspended. Why?
2. The company has procedures in place to protect the employees and investors, and if the policy is to suspend pending an investigation, why are they not consistent?
E.R. said, "Good question".
Within 20 minutes of talking with E.R. the GM called me and said I was released to come back to work!!! Totaling my suspension to time to about 2.5 hours.
Our restaurant uses an armored car service, so we have 3 weekly pick-ups and the next pick-up is on Thursday. The manager does NOT have access to the deposits until the armored car service comes with the key. And we DO NOT use a local bank so it takes a couple of days to verify the deposits after the armored car service removes the deposits from the restaurant!
I had a discussion with GM yesterday, because I am working 55-60 hours a week and I told the GM yesterday that I signed an acceptance contract when taking this position for 45-50 hours a week and if I was going to continue to work 50+ hours a week; how was I going to be compensated.
That night I am $400 short.
The next day I am suspended.
???? Seems odd to me!!!
The employees saw me come into work today, sit down with the GM, and then escorted out the front door by the GM. HOW HUMILIATING!!! How can I go back there and work without feeling less value/degraded?
Because of lack of consistency with the suspension (which can be easily proven), and deformation of character; would I have a case against the company? We still have no verification of the deposits at this point (which was the purpose of the investigation), but I am released to return to work. ??? Again, seems odd.
Thanks for your help!!!:D

No it is not illegal to suspend you with pay while they investigate. No it is not illegal to be inconsistant though it sounds like they remedied that issue by letting you come back. No it is not defamation because you were embarassed.

If you are truly a manager, then they don't owe you for any of the "extra" time you are working. If you have a bonafide contract (which would be virtually unheard of in your line of work) that limits the number of hours you can be asked to work, then you need to take that contract to an attorney to review for a possible breech of contract claim.