Hi, my name is Kirsten Krueger and two years ago, I was in a car accident. I was stopped at a stop sign when the driver behind me slammed into my car. Due to my injuries, I had to spend a few days in the hospital and I was unable to work for two months. My medical care was expensive and without being able to work, I couldn't pay my bills. The car accident was stressful enough and then I had to worry about how I would pay my bills. After speaking with a car accident lawyer, it wasn't long before I was compensated for my medical bills and lost wages from work. I'm writing this blog to help others who have been a car accident and haven't received any compensation. As you read my posts, you'll learn how an attorney can help you if you're in a vehicle accident.
Finding out that an employee is stealing from you can be disheartening. You trusted this person, you provided them with a good job, and they have chosen to reciprocate by taking what is not theirs. But even though you may be angry or upset, it's important that you not act in haste or without good judgement. Follow these tips when dealing with an employee who is stealing.
Collect Evidence
If you do not have evidence that the employee is stealing and you fire them, they may end up suing you for wrongful termination. Sadly, if there's no evidence that they were stealing, they could even stand a chance of winning that case.
Take the time to collect some evidence -- any evidence -- of the theft. This could be surveillance footage, statements from other employees, or even records showing that the cash register had a certain amount of cash before the employee's shift but was short afterwards.
Collecting this evidence without letting the employee know that you are "onto them" can be tough. To help, make sure you don't clue in any others about the situation. If you need to ask other employees for witness statements, do it in a very roundabout way. For instance, you could send a company-wide email reminding employees that you have an open-door policy and are always looking to reduce loss -- have them see you or leave an anonymous note if they know of any sources of loss you should be aware of.
Speak to a Lawyer
Before you terminate this employee, speak with an attorney to make sure you understand the related business law. They can tell you whether or not it's worth pressing charges against the employee, and they can also help you ensure you word all of your termination paperwork appropriately. There is a good chance the employee will request unemployment compensation. Your lawyer can guide you through the process of filling out this paperwork and denying their unemployment request -- which you are well within your rights to do since you're terminating them for a crime committed against the company.
Contact The Police
Whether or not you ultimately decide to press charges against the employee, you will need to contact the police so that there is an official police report regarding the loss. Assuming you have business insurance to protect against theft, the insurance company will generally only compensate you if you provide a police report.
Ideally, you should contact the police and then have them present when you are firing the employee in question. This way, you'll reduce your chances of any violence or confrontation occurring. Plus, the employee will take the situation more seriously, which may reduce your chances of having to deal with a counter-lawsuit later on. Once you have informed the employee that they are terminated, you can have the police escort them out.
Keep It Quiet
When you're aggravated about an employee's theft, you may be tempted to gossip and complain to your other employees or partners. But it really is best to keep quiet about this situation -- as much as that's possible. Something you say about the theft could be taken out of context and used against you if the employee decides to claim they were wrongfully terminated.
After the employee has been let go, however, you should reinforce your theft policies to the remaining employees. Send an email urging them to re-read that part of the contract and reiterating that you trust them with your possessions and hope they won't betray that trust.
If you are still unclear of how to proceed following an employee theft, consult your business attorney.
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