Best Practices for Addressing Workplace Crime
How should an employer react when an employee is accused of committing a crime? How can an employer protect its rights while shielding the business from legal scrutiny? Should you talk to the accused employee about the accusations?
Answers to these and other questions are the subject of an article by DiMuroGinsberg partner, Andrea Moseley. The article entitled, “My Employee Is Accused of a Work Related Crime – What Should I Do?” appears in the online employment law newsletter, HR Hero, by BLR publications. As Andrea’s article explains, properly dealing with an employee who has been accused of criminal behavior will depend upon the specific circumstances.
Where an employee is formally accused of wrongdoing and is represented by counsel, Andrea advises that an employer should not discuss the matter without first speaking with the employee’s attorney. Additionally, in situations where an employer has received a request for records or a subpoena, it usually is advisable for the employer to retain its own counsel to evaluate the propriety of the records request, especially where the request may be invasive, expensive or burdensome to comply with.
