You likely have heard the stories: a normal person is going about their everyday life, only to discover suddenly that their identity has been stolen by a criminal. While it may seem like a story that may never actually affect you, the Federal Trade Commission reported that around 12.6 million individuals were affected by identity theft in 2012 alone -- and that's only counting the people who made the Commission aware of the situation. It's certainly not a happy situation to think about, but it's an especially important issue to think through for employers who may have to deal with an employee becoming a victim in the future. Being prepared is significantly important, so continue reading to learn about how becoming the victim of an identity theft may affect your employees, what to do in the event that something happens, and how to best offer support in a troubling time:
Employers May Also Pay the Price
As you might imagine, finding yourself the victim of identity theft can quickly become expensive. From lawyer fees to expensive credit reports, the costs involved with setting things straight can quickly add up and get out of control. While it may seem like a problem that needs to be solved by the individual (and may not affect you as the employer), the situation can easily affect your business.
Unfortunately, identity theft is such a hard situation to deal with that it can lead to decreased morale, productivity, and quality as your employee struggles with resolving the crime before it affects them more. Additionally, as employer records are often used by identity thieves as a quick way to steal a large amount of information in a short time, you'll want to make sure that your employees are free from any future potential risks.
Offering Support Throughout the Situation
Since the situation is difficult and your job is to manage your employees in every way (and considering that the crime may lead to lost time for your employee), it is in your best interest to offer support during this time however you can. While it may seem hard to know how to help, you may be able to offer assistance in the following ways:
- Covering the costs for credit reports
- Working with the employee to hire a private investigator to invest their services into the situation
- Monitoring all work records on an ongoing basis to insure that nothing strange happens
While it will certainly cost the business to help the individual with associated costs, you'll actually save in the long run -- and you'll boost your employee's morale in the process.
Speak with a criminal law attorney, like Robert A Murray, for more info.
