Is the employer responsible when an employee has personaly property stolen.

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Is the employer responsible when an employee has personaly property stolen.

I work at a small ground floor store for a very large company. My property was stolen when I was left alone by my manager for most of the day. There is no security in the store.

Asked on July 21, 2017 under Employment Labor Law, New York

Answers:

M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 6 years ago | Contributor

The mere fact that property is stolen at work, does not automatically make an employer liable for the loss. Liability will depend on a whether the employer has agreed to accept responsibility for stolen items via an employment contract or company policy or it has a custom and practice of covering such losses. The fact is that employees take in personal possessions at their own risk. Further, there is no legal obligation to provide secure facilities for employees to store their belongings. Bottom line, the best place to keep personal belongings is in a locked drawer.

M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 6 years ago | Contributor

The mere fact that property is stolen at work, does not automatically make an employer liable for the loss. Liability will depend on a whether the employer has agreed to accept responsibility for stolen items via an employment contract or company policy or it has a custom and practice of covering such losses. The fact is that employees take in personal possessions at their own risk. Further, there is no legal obligation to provide secure facilities for employees to store their belongings. Bottom line, the best place to keep personal belongings is in a locked drawer.


IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.

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