Definitions
I'm off by a penny because I caved and took in a bunch of loose change today, but I have a penny in my pocket I can throw in my drawer so it's all good. What very bad thing am I doing?
"Forced balancing."
True or false: In a given month, employees at TCR branches are expected to keep their total monthly cash variance below $15.
True! TCR branches are expected to keep their monthly variance below $15. At traditional branches, it's $25.
What must be completed for any variance over the daily branch limits not found on the day it occurred?
Cash Variance Report
*The $15 for TCR/$25 for traditional cutoff is used for this purpose, too
My manager watched the cameras and saw me fix my offage with that penny from my pocket... what's the worst that can happen?
You could be fired! Forced balancing is very serious and punishable by disciplinary action up to or including termination.
How many business days do I have to find an offage in order for it not to count against me?
Three business days. This is called a "recovery."
What is the dollar amount below which a daily cash variance will not count against you?
$10
Who must be contacted in case of a cash variance greater than $15 at a TCR branch?
Branch manager must be emailed.
Returning trick question: Over what period are cash variances assessed for corrective action?
Total monthly variances are assessed for corrective action in the context of a 12-month rolling period.
(Either answer could be accepted, both is grounds for bonus points!)
What exactly does it mean to be "off", "over/short", or "out of balance"?
Your actual drawer count does not match your DNA teller totals, creating a "variance."
Ultimately, who decides whether repeated cash variances will count against you?
Your Branch Manager and Regional Manager will discuss whether the pattern of variances is significant enough to supersede the $10 daily limit and count against you regardless.
My drawer is off by $75. How long after our last member leaves for the day can I spend looking for it?
At least 45 minutes total, as that's what is allowed for variances up to $50, but any time beyond that is at your manager's discretion.
It's my first time being off in a twelve-month period, but I don't require any coaching. Why might that be?
You must be new here! MEAs within their first 30 days at the branch do not require coaching for not meeting balancing standards.
What counts as a business day as far as the balancing standards are concerned?
Monday through Friday - NOT holidays!
I was off by $50 on Monday, but on Friday we audited cashboxes and my coworker found a $50 bill hiding under my bait. Am I in trouble? Why or why not?
You're not not in trouble! Recoveries must be identified within three working business days of the offage, so this will still count in your total monthly cash variance.
My drawer is over by five cents because a member left me a little "tip." What step do I take when DNA tells me I'm off?
When would I receive the first of three possible written warnings for not meeting balancing standards?
The 3rd month of a 12-month period in which you do not meet balancing standards.
I only ran a drawer seven days this month - do these balancing standards apply to me?
Yes! Running a drawer at least five times per month makes you an "employee" subject to balancing standards.
I was over $15 on Monday, short $20 on Tuesday (I found a $20 bill stuck in my drawer lid the next morning), and short by $20 on Friday. What is my total cumulative cash variance for the week?
$35 total. That $20 you found the next morning will not count against you, because it was recovered within three business days. Those two offages do not cancel out at all though, so they're just added together for a total of $35.
Name three things you should do/check if you count your drawer and arrive at an offage?
Confirm checks balance; recount the cash drawer; count all strapped money, loose currency, and coin; review transposed numbers; review teller cash transfer slips and e-receipts; review teller journal; validate the branch vault and TCRs are balanced; verify cash drawer on following working day to previous working day for accuracy.
What will my manager and I have to implement if I don't meet the balancing standards for a second month in a 12-month period?
A Performance Plan describing action items to correct behaviors at the root of the offages.