This did happen recently. Background knowledge first. So for the last 7 months I have been a casual worker at a local club to make money while I was finishing highschool. Small establishment. I'd work about 3 days a week. around 15 hours a week. I was usually put on for quiet nights and would do lock-up and close. We also have a couple of pokies. Which I have to monitor and write tickets out for, as well as pay. Typically you carry the money to the game room when you go to check a win so you take less tips.

So I'm working one night, everything is normal. A bit busy for the night but nothing too chaotic. I made a couple trips to the gaming room to write out prizes and was pouring drinks. So I grab a glass of water to si on and someone comes out to the game room, claiming to have won $300. I, like normal, grab $300 out the pokie till and go to write out the ticket. I get to the room and turns out it was a lie just to waste my time. I go back to the bar and am about to head into the back room before a customer asks me to pour a couple drinks. (Here is the fuck up)

Not wanting to be rude and remembering my manager did the same, I put the money in my back left pocket (The one I never use) and go to pour this guy some drinks. Then some more people wanted some. So I did this for a while. Couple of minute later I was finished, then I heard a bang. Someone had dropped a glass. I went to go clean it up, and assure the customer that they were fine and it wasn't a big deal. Finished cleaning up, now guess what I had forgotten during all of this? The $300 in my pocket.

Shift finishes as usual. I lock up everything. Check my front pockets. Only my phone and inhaler. Check my back right for my wallet, yep, it is there. I grab my keys them arm the alarm and leave. $300 still in my pocket. Now the reason I didn't check this pocket is because I never use it for anything. Why would I check it?

I drive home. Next day I get a text from my boss around the time we open: "We need to talk URGENTLY. Please come see me when you next don't have an exam." I didn't have any exams so I got changed into my work uniform (The one with $300 in my pocket), expecting it to be something to do with it being busy or work related.

I get there and head in. My boss tells me to take a seat in the office. I did. I'm nervous now. Did I forget something last night? Did I not lock the safe? Turn off a fridge on accident? Break something. They sit down and I look guilty as fuck from my panic.

"I was counting the tills today and there was $300 missing from one of the tills. I reviewed the security footage and found this section where you put some money in your pocket. Due to this I am going to have to terminate your employment and ask for your keys."

I was shocked. I had forgot something and now I lost my job from it. I apologised profusely to them and check my pockets to find the money. I gave them it back and continued to apologise. Thankfully they were very understanding, but were adamant about having to take my keys and terminating my employment due to the risk that I may have been trying to steal.

I handed over my keys, apologised again, and thanked them for the opportunity to learn and gain experience, and if they can ever get past this incident I was willing to work with them again. They thanked me for my time working with them and wished me well in the future. They said they won't file a report against me as they believed I had no bad intentions and also because I am still young. They told me a story about something similar they went through and how this wasn't the end of my life, but an important lesson. They also said if anyone asks about why I'm not working anymore they'll say it just didn't work out.

I still have my membership and am still cool with my manager, but unfortunately I lost my job, and I don't see a point in applying for a new one when I am moving away next year for university. Guess I won't be making extra cash for a while, aside from farm work I do with my Dad and my youth payment. Now to try and explain to my parents why I'm not working anymore.

TL;DR: Someone made a false winning claim so I grabbed money. After finding out it was false put the money in my pocket I never use. Got busy before I could put it back in till. Forgot I left it in my pocket. Job got terminated because I stole. Returned the money and am on good terms with boss still, they didn't file a report and are not disclosing why I left.

A fuck up. But at least the ending didn't go too bad. Could have been a lot worse. Moral of the story? ALWAYS check EVERYTHING. And get a better memory than me.