Prior employee trying to

Rockie · January 2002

This is not really a law questions, but just wanted to know how you guys handle situations like this.

We had a supervisor who left under bad circumstances. She started off great and then basically wanted to be the "boss" and overstepped her bounds on several occasions with physicians. She also treated staff badly, taking three hourlunch hours to look at real estate and then telling her staff that it was too busy for them to take lunch - to eat at their desk. Anyway....we finally had to terminate her. She was able to readily find a position as she is in a very high in demand field and the practice she went to is not known for checking references or doing background checks, etc. Anyway...she took to calling her former employees asking them to dinner, etc. and attempting to lure them away. Of course, they told me about this and they thought it was hilarious that she would even think they would consider working for her ever again.

With all that said...is there a good way to handle people like this who call your employees and attempt to steal them. I know the job market is tight, but I feel this is extremely unprofessional. I never call employees from my former workplaces; if they call me inquiring about a position, I feel they are fair game, but I just have a bad feeling about trying to steal someone away from another workplace.

Missy · January 2002

I had a former employee that was contacting our current employees in an effort to recruit them. She was calling and emailing them at work. I called the HR Director at her new company and let him know that she was using her work hours to contact our employees and asked him to bring a stop to it. He did.

bsa · January 2002

I had an ex-employee do this once. I told everyone in the office that the next time she called, I needed to speak to her. I told her that I was aware that she was attempting to recruit from my office staff and that she better stop. I didn't get specific with her as to consequences, but she hung up knowing that I wouldn't allow it to continue. She hasn't called back.

Gar · January 2002

In a former HR assignment (major telecommuniations company), we had a very similar situation. The employee (an engineering manager) was REAL BAD NEWS and left us one step ahead of the sheriff (employment termination). He went to a dot-com start-up. His recruitment efforts came to our attention and, on the advice of legal counsel, we simply did nothing about it since most folks knew his reputation. No one in his/her right mind wanted to work for this guy. He inevitably got the message and stopped calling after a few weeks. Last I heard, his new employer fired him in less than 6 months.

OhioSmallEmployer · January 2002

One option you might want to consider is having your employees sign a non-compete agreement. There are different kinds and you can have one designed for your needs an a competing company in your marketplace. Some don't allow employees to work for competitors in your market for a period of time.
My last place of employment had me sign one that basically said, 1) I can't share confidential information with parties outside the company during my employment and 1 year after my employment. 2) I can't solicit any of the company's clients up to 1 year after my employment. 3) I can't recruit any of the staff up to 1 year after my employment. This agreement didn't bare me from working at a competitors but is still considered a non-compete aggreement.

Prior employee trying to

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