Better be careful
Berlin (dpa / tmn) – The milk from the refrigerator, a few sheets of printer paper, the nice giveaway from the customer: It’s not a problem to take such little things home with you from work. Or?
Alexander Bredereck, specialist lawyer for labor law from Berlin, advises caution: “Employees should be very careful about taking something home with them.” Unauthorized removal from the employer’s property can already be a reason for a warning or even a termination, he explains. This also applies to comparatively inferior items. If there is a dispute, the employee has to prove in case of doubt that the removal was approved.
Conversely, the employer is responsible for ensuring that employees are provided with all the necessary work equipment, for example for working from home. “Only the employee should never see this as an invitation to obtain the funds from the employer without authorization,” emphasizes Bredereck. “If in doubt, I recommend that employees submit written inquiries to their employer in advance.”
And what about when presents and attentions from a customer or client arrive? “Companies often already have clear rules for accepting promotional gifts in their employment contracts,” emphasizes Bredereck. This mostly also applies to their continued ownership by the employer or employee.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 201030-99-144942 / 5
