You were in a bind: the employer actually could not make you pay without suing you for the money and proving you were at fault (e.g. unreasonably careless) in allowing or causing the theft--but if you did not have a contract, they could choose to fire you for a theft happening on your watch, because without a contract, you could be fired for any reason at all, no matter how unfair. You decided to pay and keep your job, which was likely the better choice; now, though, there is nothing cost effective you can do for $60, since to get your money from the employer, you'd have to sue them for it and prove they received restitution--and the cost of filing even a small claims case would be more-or-less equal to the amount of money you'd get back. There is no good way to get your money; you may need to simply accept that you paid $60 to retain your job.