Handling Off-Duty Misconduct
The concept of off-duty misconduct and any on-duty punishment that may occur can sometimes be a slippery slope, warns Natalie Lynch of Lynch Service Company in a web posting.
While there are plenty of instances of people being fired or reprimanded for their off-duty behaviors, there are also instances of terminated employees fighting for reinstatement under the guise that their off-duty conduct did not impact their on-duty work or the reputation of the company, she writes.
“Problems may arise when a company fails to outline what type of off-duty conduct is considered verboten and how employees are to conduct themselves during their off-duty hours. Problems can also arise when an employee punishes or terminates an employee for thoughts or actions that the company deems unsatisfactory, but are not illegal or truly damaging to the company, Lynch writes.