What should you do if an employee gets arrested?

by Susan K. Lessack, Pepper Hamilton LLP

It’s Monday morning, the coffee has yet to be brewed and already a huge problem has dropped onto your desk.

An employee left a voice mail saying he has been arrested. He doesn’t say what happened, but the very next message is from a local newspaper reporter asking for details about the employee’s work history.

The office rumor mill is up and running, with whispers of the arrest and a possible firing.

After the initial shock wears off, the employer has to figure out what to do next, not only about the arrested employee but also all of its other employees, who are no doubt watching to see how the employer will react.

With a record number of Americans now in prison—almost 2.2 million in federal or state penal institutions—and crackdowns underway nationwide against drugs and drunk driving, more employers are finding themselves unprepared to answer the question: “What do I do now...(register to read more)