Woman Ordered To Pay Over $2,700 After Committing “Time Theft” While Working From Home

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many employers have given their workers the option to work from home. Though many would occasionally take breaks for lunch or to use the restroom, one Vancouver employee was caught lying about the amount of hours she had worked, NPR reported.

Karlee Besse was employed by for the Vancouver Island accounting firm Reach CPA. After being accused of time theft, she was let go from her position. Besse later filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against her former employer, claiming they still owed her $5,000 in unpaid wages. The company responded by taking her to court.

According to NPR, the company retaliated by filing a countersuit. Reach CPA accused Besse of performing personal tasks when she supposed to be working. A time tracking app on her work-issued laptop, that monitored her performance and activity, showed that Besse was overpaid by 51 hours.

Besse denied the accusations, claiming some of the work had been printed out and done manually, instead of electronically, but provided no evidence.

The finally ruling dismissed Besse’s claim, and she was ordered to pay Reach CPA $2,756.80 in damages within 30 days.

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