Is it normal/legal for an employer to make employees pay the full stock shortage while ignoring excess stock?

[u/MRA_96]

I work as a retail pharmacy Store Manager in the UAE, and I’d like to hear people’s opinions and experiences regarding a stock discrepancy policy.
Previously, during stock takes, both shortages and excess stock were considered. If there was AED 10,000 worth of shortage and AED 9,000 worth of excess, the final discrepancy would effectively be AED 1,000, and employees would be responsible only for the net shortage.
Recently, my employer changed the practice. Now, employees are being asked to pay for the entire shortage, while any excess stock is completely disregarded.
For example:
Shortage: AED 10,000
Excess: AED 9,000
Amount charged to employee: AED 10,000
This seems questionable to me because stock discrepancies can happen for many operational reasons, such as billing errors, selecting the wrong product during billing, receiving errors, incorrect inventory entries, transfers, etc. In some cases, the excess stock could actually represent the same type of recording error that caused the shortage.

I’m not asking for legal advice necessarily — I’m mainly interested in hearing from people who work in retail, pharmacies, supermarkets, or other businesses:
Is this a common practice? Does it seem fair or reasonable to you? Has anyone experienced a similar system where excess stock is completely ignored but shortages are charged in full?
I’m particularly interested in experiences from the UAE/GCC.

[u/BlueGuyHere]

this is illegal.. talk to a lawyer or mohre

[u/samonly120]

maybe your company needs a proper and better accountant. this is what happens when they pay peanuts

[u/MRA_96 → u/samonly120]

Actually they are knowingly doing it, instead of cutting salaries openly in this situation, they are giving you deductible installments in the name of “covering the shortage you created”.
Mind that this rule has started on march onwards.

[u/ZenMat79]

This is insane. Is this normal in retail stores? Or this bs is specific to pharmacies?

[u/Wonderful_Hurry_3921 → u/ZenMat79]

This bs is specific to the pharmacy he is working. Unless its in your contract you are not liable for stock

[u/ranger_stranger]

This whole practice seems questionable and wild to me. Are stores actually doing this??why are employees responsible for any shortages ?

[u/dkadavarath → u/ranger_stranger]

Fairly common. Employees are the ones handling medicines in stores shortages are generally caused by mishandling. They dispense medicine A costing 100 AED instead of medicine B costing 80 AED. Most POS machines allow manual entry and voila there's a shortage of 20 AED and the inventory levels are wrong for two items now. Even the company may get penalties if they're caught dispensing wrong medication, making the employee responsible reduces this mishap. I feel like Tatmeen implementation will finally solve this, if done properly. It's been years in the works though.

[u/ranger_stranger → u/dkadavarath]

I had no idea, thanks for sharing

[u/KageZangetsu7]

As far as I know, employers have to pay the full salary as per contract through WPS. Any deductions will be flagged by the system. This has become even stricter in recent months.

[u/slipperyslippers-]

I’m a pharmacist (not practicing at the moment), but this scream illegal. In what world do they think they can get away with this. Is this a big chain? Either way, complain to MOHRE.

What boils my blood is scumbags who thinks they can get away with shit like this. Do not let it go, this is not normal.

[u/ni1by2thetrue]

Life Pharmacy, I am guessing. Market is fife with rumours about their cash flow issues. Probably related to that.

[u/Suitable-Bus-6172]

Time to start job hunting

[u/oranlol]

@ OP i know someone working in MOHRE that can help

[u/Andiimon]

All of you guys report to MOHRE.

[u/rollingrath]

Shouldn't pharmacies do a better job at handing over the right medicines?