Husband lost his job. His fault but he had good intentions. We are both deeply upset. Please help.

[user1471433754]

My husband's boss phoned him a fortnight ago, and told him to stand down and to hand his laptop in to HQ the following day. My husband was so shocked, we didn't know what was happening. We were in a distressed state as he's contract and won't get paid either.
After over a week, of not sleeping, eating, desperately worried, we received a very aggressive lawyers letter from the company. It accused him of downloading documents to his private e mail to read. Husband did do this, they weren't sensitive but he did do it so he could read them at night, and deleted them right after. He honestly didn't realise he was doing wrong. He was doing his best to help his team and get the work done. He's always known for getting jobs done and been told he's a great asset.
Back story to this is, I've been very ill the last year. I nearly died, also lots of illness on my part, mental breakdown, 2 operations, serious illness. He was trying to look after me and do his job at the same time in the evening. He's now been dismissed. Looks like we are going to have to pay both sides legal fees, but he has no job, I can't work. We speak to a lawyer tmro.
He has been foolish, but he did it with the best of intentions to get the work done. We are early sixties and so distressed, I'm worried he will have a heart attack. He's cried non stop, he is horrified, ashamed, embarrassed. Please be kind x

If he has been clearly told this isn’t allowed then yes it’s a sackable offence but not sure where legal fees come in? Sure you get told to leave with the set amount of notice in your contract as a payoff?

many jobs require a secure email address and only for the provided equipment so not onto your phone or personal computer, it’s the legal fees but that’s confusing

We have just handed everything over to lawyer. We were in such a state. I'm not sure we have read it properly tbh, my mind is a blank. We will speak to our lawyer properly tmro.

Don’t panic.

Yes he’s committed gross misconduct and they can terminate as they are doing. Should be following a process which includes an investigation but maybe they did that before they made contact and maybe the way his contract is written is helpful.

They absolutely can’t and won’t get legal fees from you and I am not sure you need to instruct a lawyer either. Just accept the contract has been fairly terminated and look for another role.

This won’t be disclosed by them and given it’s only a contract its easier to move on.

But your husband really needs to understand that what he did is an absolute no no. If you have a work laptop it all stays on there. His reason of wanting to catch up in the evening does not stack up. Nothing he could do on his personal laptop that he couldn’t do on work one apart from steal data.

Next time he should read contract and related policies from cover to cover.

Put it behind you and move on.

I'm not saying you aren't getting the full story but it's a massive faux pa on the company's part, to give him 24 hours notice.

During that time he could've done anything with his laptop that could ruin the company.

Massive schoolboy error.

If he was in an office for example he wouldn't have been given notice, and security would've walked him over to his desk, told him to grab his stuff and go.

His explanation for sending work data to his personal emails makes no sense at all. He has a work laptop at home and there is zero difference between reading from the work laptop and reading from his emails on a personal laptop. So, he isn’t telling you the full truth.

There are no legal fees to pay. He has been fired for sending work product to a personal email. That doesn’t involve legal fees. First you said that a lawyer friend of yours suggested they would want the legal fees paid, and now you’re saying they actually wrote that in the letter. So which is? Did a lawyer friend suggest you need to pay fees or did they put it in the letter?

What legal fees do you have to pay? You don’t need a lawyer. He’s a contractor. His contract has been ended. He admits he did it. Why are you going to see an employment layer? Again… none of this makes sense.

He must be lying about something or you guys just do not understand what is going on. Stop wasting time with lawyers.

Husband works from home.

Sometimes goes into HQ but not that often

What have you handed over to a lawyer?

He is a contractor. They have ended his contract early due to gross misconduct which he admits. There is literally nothing to do here and no need for a lawyer or legal fees. What are you talking about?

By ‘the nature of his job’ do you mean the material he handles is exceptionally sensitive?

Firstly pleas confide in some trusted friends/family. You’re both understandably overwhelmed and need some support. Forget about any shame, DH is not Geoffrey Epstein!

Secondly, is there any damage caused by his actions? Data leaks, reputation etc? How do you know the docs weren’t sensitive? Anything with data relating to an individual is most definitely sensitive. As is most corporate data…

Going to see an employment lawyer because it's horrifying to get a letter like that. I'm guessing they must be suing? Omg, I've no idea now, breach of contract? I've been told it's a civil action? That he won't get a criminal record? I'm so sorry, I'm not being vague on purpose, we have been so horrified and he's deeply ashamed of it. He just didn't think

We can barely speak as we've been so shocked.

I'm so sorry @user1471433754
What a terrible year you've had.

I'm also pretty sure that you don't need lawyers, or if you do, your husband hasn't been straight with you.

BTW it would be helpful if you'd quote people when you're posting.
The quote button is on the left, under every post.

Ok so if I understand things correctly, OP and her DH received a letter sacking him, and the letter is from lawyers. And IN THAT LETTER, it mentions that OP’s DH will “need to pay legal fees.” OP seems to have no idea why or what it means; honestly, it could just be accidentally left in because that’s their normal scary form letter. Or maybe it reads, “IF there are legal costs, you may be liable.” OP sounds too stressed to know her arse from her elbow (sorry @user1471433754 ) so who knows what it says, and hopefully a lawyer can help them understand.

I don’t understand why he felt the need to download docs to his email / own laptop so that he could work on them at night when he already works from home.

Something isn’t adding up here @user1471433754be prepared for something else. Have you seen the legal letters?

I think it's policy leaks? Data leaks, they think he may use some of that?

Where I worked documents were held on a server/cloud and you didn't need to download to read. You logged into your One Drive and read it there or if you downloaded it was to your work IT account so there was a trail to avoid situations like this. OPs husband should have been aware of IT policy and may have been reminded every time he logged in

OP, people can’t help if you don’t tell us what the letter actually said and what you have handed over to the Lawyers? You are being very cagey with this information. What sector is as the role in?

Right. You read the letter? What didn’t actually say? What are they suing for?

Are they going to receive a huge fine or something for this breach? And they want your husband to pay it? Because no company sues a contractor for something this small; he sent an email. All they do is fire you.

What did the letter say? You said you’re in your 60s. Act like an adult and speak with some sense.

You need to claim Universal Credit at once.

If you've been ill, you may be entitled to PIP as well. (ADP in Scotland).

If you get PIP you'll be entitled to a higher rate of UC.

He has been straight with me. That I do know.

If they are bringing a civil action it sounds like it is more than dismissal and they are wanting to recover money/ claim damages?

There will be evidence on his personal laptop email to show that he read and deleted. Hopefully all can be resolved.
Best of luck.

It sounds the information is potentially highly sensitive or confidential. I don’t wish to be unkind here OP, but if you work in an area that deals with such info there is no way you aren’t aware of GDPR etc or that downloading it to a personal computer would be an offence!

is it medical information?

So what are the actual words in the letter about legal action?