Employers that have “the goods” on employees who have committed workplace theft may think they are in the driver’s seat. That may very well be, but we would admonish them not to drive that car too fast. Although employers may have every right to terminate their thieving employees, there are a multitude of circumstances to consider when navigating down that proverbial road.
Most importantly, employers should avoid rushing to judgment. Facts that at first blush seem damning may look different upon cooler reflection. Consider this: Our firm has settled two different cases in recent years in which our clients were accused of stealing from their employers. In one, our client confessed to the theft. In the other, she was caught stealing on videotape. In both cases, the employers paid our clients real money even though they had good reason to believe the clients had stolen from them.
