Tribunal Confirms Time Theft Proven By Time-Tracking Software May Justify Employment Termination

The decision of the British Columbia, Canada Civil Resolution Tribunal (Tribunal) in Besse v. Reach CPA Inc., 2023 BCCRT 27 is especially relevant now that remote work has become common. The Tribunal found the employer had just cause for terminating a remote worker's employment for time theft. The employer discovered the time-tracking program it had installed on the employee's work laptop revealed that 50.76 unaccounted hours were recorded on her timesheets. The Tribunal ordered the employee to compensate the employer for the theft of the unaccounted-for hours.

Background

The employee was an accountant at Reach CPA Inc. (employer) from October 12, 2021 to March 29, 2022. Her employment agreement provided she would work remotely. The parties also signed an advance agreement stipulating the employer would forgive 1/24 of its advance of $3,666 to the employee to purchase home office equipment and to pay her professional fees for every month the employee was