Is an employer liable for personal belongings stolen from work due to negligence?
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Is an employer liable for personal belongings stolen from work due to negligence?
My skateboard was stolen from my
previous job, from an area where
personal belongings were assured to be
secure. My board did not fit into the
lockers however, the store manager
assured me it would be safe. The
lockers are located in the back of the
store in an ’employee only’ area, but
employee occasionally walk people to
the bathrooms located right beside the
lockers. In this particular instance,
the manager left the alarmed door to
the backroom propped open, effectively
allowing anyone to get into the back
without activating the alarm. An
unknown individual was then able to get
into the back, grab my skateboard, and
leave the area and the store with no
one being aware. I reported the
incident to the store manager,who,I
found out 2 weeks later, did not report
it to upper management. After hearing
nothing for 2 months, I was finally
contacted by the regional director who
said the company would not be
reimbursing me in any way, as my
belonging being stolen was my
responsibility. Is there any way to
challenge this decision considering the
circumstances?
Asked on November 2, 2016 under Employment Labor Law, California
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 8 years ago | Contributor
An employer--or indeed, any person--is not liable, or financially reaponsible for, the criminal actions of other persons (such as a criminal customer or someone who snuck in from outside), and employers do not function as their employees' insurer. Your employer is not required to reimburse you.
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