Arrested Employee - Need Help asap

GLC

We have a PT ee who was arrested last weekend for soliciting sex in a local park. I don't know right now if it was with a child, man or woman. He called in sick Mon & Tues of this week and called his supv on Wed and told her what happened voluntarily. He has been off all week. This has not been in the media. I guess you never know who you have working at your company because this would be the last person I would expect to hear something like that on. He is a very good ee. He works in Intake on the phone, scheduling appointments for counseling clients. He does not ever see the clients face to face. He is seeing a psychiatrist and on medication for this. Do you think we should terminate him for this? If no, what would you ask him to provide us before we accept him back such as letter from his psychiatrist confirming his treatment, police report, etc?

Gillian3

Put this in the perspective of your agency. If your clients get wind of this and it would be negative, dismiss him. Don't think that phone conversation is going to keep stuff from happening. I am aware of one situation in my experience where someone in this type of position solicited clients over the phone when they called in. Also think of negative publicity and how that would affect your agency. The publicity will arrive at some point.

GLC

Here is some more info. He was released on bond and will go back to court in mid-November. If it was a child, we will be fired him immediately.

Shadowfax

Be careful about firing him for being arrested. Fire him for absentee or no reason if you can.

WT

Can you put him on some sort of leave until this all shakes out? I have seen a similar case where the employee was soliciting sex at a rest stop. In that case, no nexus was found between the act and the employee's duties at work. He kept his employment. Thus, it is not an automatic discharge, but it depends on what the employee does for a living and how this crime might impact the employer's knowledge of the employee's tendancy to behave at work. For example, if an employee stole money outside of work, he would be treated differently if he worked at a bank or perhaps dug ditches. Thus, what position of trust is confered by the employment and how is that trust likely to be used or abused.