What can an individual employer do if his employee breaks an object?

Verified 06 February 2023 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

The individual employer is responsible damage caused by his employee at home.

If he considers that the damages committed by the employee are volunteers, he may sanction it by a warning, a lay-off or a dismissal. This will be the case, for example, when the employee voluntarily breaks a vase.

The employer cannot withhold the price of the broken item from the employee's salary, nor can he ask him to reimburse the item. The financial penalties are forbidden.

In addition to his insurance civil liability as a personal matter, the employer may take out professional indemnity insurance to cover the damage caused by his employee.

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