Accused of theft..what do I do?

[Summerseat]

I left my old job 5 weeks ago, been there many years. Since leaving I've hardly heard from anyone, people that I normally hear from regularly. Thought it was strange but just thought it was a case of out of sight out of mind.

So it turns out everyone is talking about me. There was a spate of thefts in the workplace, people are saying its me. On speaking to someone about why they didn't tell me they said they were told they weren't allowed to talk about it with me, but the whole place was talking about it.

I have not done anything so from that side I'm not concerned but my name is being dragged through the mud with malicious untrue rumours & knowing that im being talked about by everyone is so upsetting. Surely this is libel?

What can I do? Can I raise a grievance with HR even though I don't work there anymore? Surely they can't get away with it, it seems so unfair!

You can't do anything. This happened to me many years ago, not just the whole workplace talking about how I got sacked for stealing, but a member of management telling my new team mates who I was the manager of. You'd need a bottomless pit of money to sue to libel or defamation and there's no guarantee you would win because it isn't actually costing you any loss of assets or money.

Surely this is libel?

Not if they’re saying it as in speaking the words. That’s slander. If the rumours are in any recordable form, then that is libel, so if there are emails being circulated accusing you are theft that is libel.

I don't know if there is any emails being circulated atm. I'm just aware of what people are saying. Like a PP stated its very difficult to sue for libel/defamation, it's bloody shitty though that my name can be dragged through the mud & I can't do anything about it!!!