Richmond suspends use of gift cards for employee recognition

May 20, 2025

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The British Columbia city of Richmond has fired an employee over a case of theft that spanned a couple of years, according to media reports.

The city confirmed the termination after a routine audit uncovered significant discrepancies in its gift card program, which had issued gift cards to employees as rewards for performance, long service, retirement, and participation in charitable activities, reports the Vancouver Sun.

An internal review revealed that the city purchased approximately $446,000 worth of gift cards between 1 January 2022 and 31 December 2024. Of that amount, $121,000 was properly distributed, and another $31,000 remains in the custody of the human resources department.

However, approximately $295,000 in gift cards remains unaccounted for and unreconciled.

In a previous, unrelated case, an arbitrator upheld the dismissal of a hotel server for the theft of $14.

Richmond suspends gift cards program

The city has since suspended the use of gift cards for employee recognition. The program for individual employee excellence ended in autumn 2024, while its use for long-serving and retiring employees was phased out earlier this spring.

“We ended it because we started to find that there were some inconsistencies in the way they were being purchased,” says Richmond city spokesman Clay Adams in the Vancouver Sun. “As a result, we thought best to stop the use of gift cards for employee...

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