Employee Who Volunteered for Weekend Work Sued for Unauthorized Removal of Company Property

An employee who voluntarily worked on weekends and displayed a diligent attitude has been sued for unauthorized removal of company property and for acting as a spy to assist a competing company.

On the 28th, the incident was reported by JTBC’s 〈Incident Commander〉. The informant has been running a business since 2007 that prints famous artworks and paintings by domestic and international artists to be made into frames and sold online.

The employee in question, referred to as Employee A, joined the company in March 2023 and was responsible for printing artwork and managing materials. He earned the company's trust by voluntarily coming to work on weekends.

However, the informant discovered unusual phenomena where company expenses surged and inventory decreased rapidly. Upon questioning Employee A, the informant did not receive a clear answer and ultimately decided to install CCTV in the company. The footage revealed Employee A loading company materials into his personal vehicle while at work on the weekend.

Additionally, it was confirmed that he sent important documents such as partnership contracts, artwork files, and shopping mall entry materials to another employee who had left the company. According to the informant, two employees who left the company around the end of 2024 established a business that produces and sells framed artwork, and Employee A conspired with them to siphon off materials and documents.

The informant personally visited the storage of the company established by the former employees to check the unauthorized items taken out and secured related video evidence. It is claimed that they removed company materials every weekend before leaving and subsequently proposed a partnership to Employee A, allowing him to unlawfully copy design files and plans.

They allegedly used the stolen materials and files to produce products and then sold them online at a cheaper price than the informant’s company. In response, the informant sued Employee A and the two former employees for embezzlement and special theft, and additionally sued Employee A for breach of trust and document destruction.

Employee A countered, saying, "I took them for comparison purposes, not for use," and claimed that "the theft accusations are exaggerated." He further asserted that he has simply not returned the items he took.

Employee A and his associates suggested a settlement, stating, "We have evidence of intimidation, coercion, and invasion of residence since the informant filmed us entering the company storage. We propose to settle before taking legal action by offering 10 million won to consider it a non-issue."

The informant expressed frustration, stating, "I was betrayed by employees I had worked with for at least three years and at most five years," adding, "I’m especially angry that this happened with an employee who had even voluntarily worked on weekends." He emphasized, "I have no intention of settling and want to see them face legal consequences."

Image source: JTBC 'Incident Commander', reference images for understanding the article / gettyimagesbank