If I received a solicitation ticket while doing outside sales for my former employer, are they responsible for paying the ticket?
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If I received a solicitation ticket while doing outside sales for my former employer, are they responsible for paying the ticket?
I was dropped off in a neighborhood by my former manager. While I am going door-to-door, the police showed up and gave me a ticket for soliciting. I told them that I was there because my manager dropped me off. I have no control of which area I am dropped off in. The policeman still issued me ticket. I tried to contact my managers, but none of them returned my calls. The ticket costs $267. I feel that my former employer should pay since they are the cause of me getting a ticket the first place.
Asked on January 13, 2011 under Employment Labor Law, Virginia
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 13 years ago | Contributor
Whether or not morally your former employer should pay, they have no legal obligation to do so unless you had a reimbursement or indemnification agreement with them of some kind. That's because breaking the law--even minor infractions, like soliciting--is not part of an employee's job description; companies may not hire people to break the law. Therefore, in the absence of some agreement that the employer will pay this sort of expense or fine for you, they are not required to. After all, they may have dropped you off, but you were the one going door to door and soliciting; the violation, and therefore the ticket, was your responsibility. You could try suing in small claims, but there's a good chance the case would be dismissed for lack of a cause of action.
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