In NC can an employee be fired or held responsible for accepting counterfeit money

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In NC can an employee be fired or held responsible for accepting counterfeit money

If an employee in NC
unknowingly accepts a
counterfeit bill, can they
be fired, or held liable
for it?

Asked on May 23, 2019 under Employment Labor Law, North Carolina

Answers:

M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 4 years ago | Contributor

Most employment is "at will". This means that an employer can set the conditions of the workplace as it sees fit. This includes firing an employee for taking counterfeit money, or for any reason, or for no reason at all. This is true unless the employee's treatment constitutes some form of legally actionable discrimination or violates a term of a union agreement or an employment contract. As for being held liable, an employer may never take money out of a paycheck without the employee's agreement or persmission. That having been said, if the employee was at fault in accepting the counterfeit bill, in other words they were unreasonably careless in taking it because it was a bad fake and so they should have spotted that it was counterfeit, then the employee would be liable for the money. If the employee does not voluntarily repay it, the employer could sue although it probably would not be worth their while to do so. On the other hand, if the employee was not at fault if there was no reason to think it was a bill was forged, then the employee should not be held liable.

M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 4 years ago | Contributor

Most employment is "at will". This means that an employer can set the conditions of the workplace as it sees fit. This includes firing an employee for taking counterfeit money, or for any reason, or for no reason at all. This is true unless the employee's treatment constitutes some form of legally actionable discrimination or violates a term of a union agreement or an employment contract. As for being held liable, an employer may never take money out of a paycheck without the employee's agreement or persmission. That having been said, if the employee was at fault in accepting the counterfeit bill, in other words they were unreasonably careless in taking it because it was a bad fake and so they should have spotted that it was counterfeit, then the employee would be liable for the money. If the employee does not voluntarily repay it, the employer could sue although it probably would not be worth their while to do so. On the other hand, if the employee was not at fault if there was no reason to think it was a bill was forged, then the employee should not be held liable.


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