Crime In The Workplace

By Ian Rummels

How should HR deal with an employee who is suspected of wrongdoing?

Thankfully not an everyday HR issue, but a serious one nevertheless, and one that requires serious consideration.

While employers should always carry out their own investigation of any matters, this may not always practical, especially if an employee has been charged and not bailed or is being held while being questioned. In the absence of being able to carry out an investigation, the...

...recommended next step is to suspend the employee on full pay, until it is possible to do so.

If the employee is subsequently released and not charged, they should return to work. However, in a high profile case, or in a case in which the public were highly opinionated, depending on what role the employee has, you might want to consider more carefully when you wanted them to return to work, and in what capacity, taking into account any implications there might be such as media frenzy, customer boycotts, health and safety, harassment and business disruption.

If the employee was charged and released, they should be suspended on full pay while the situation is investigated, as not all information relating to the case might be available. Employers should also consider disciplinary action for whatever action the employee was alleged to have taken as well as take into account issues such as breach of trust and confidence and bringing the employer into disrepute.

If the employee was charged and not released, this is one of the rare examples when the employer is exempt from following the statutory dismissal procedure, as it would not be feasible to do so.... continued on page two >

 

 

Advertisement

Advertisement