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I found out that my colleague is cheating the company over time claims...

July 2005

Dear Office-Politics,

I found out that my colleague is cheating the company over time claims, (for a long period of time) In another words, they stay late but never perform any work. How to make my boss realize this situation and at the same time not to get myself into trouble? Thank you very much.

Cautious Whistleblower

Dear Cautious Whistleblower,

It is good you care enough about your employer, and wise to avoid adverse consequences for yourself. My gut reaction is to send an anonymous letter alerting your boss to the situation. Do you feel that such a letter would be traced back to you? If not, then the risk of exposure to you is minimized and you have done a good deed by letting the company know of the wrongdoing.

Now it is possible that you have an affirmative obligation to directly bring this to the attention of your employer. It depends on your role within the company, the terms of your employment relationship, and the laws of the place you work. For example, if the year is 2001 and you are an officer of Enron aware of egregious wrongdoing, an anonymous letter may not fulfill your obligations to the company. If you have any doubts, you may want to consult with an attorney to find out the best way to proceed given the particulars of your case.

Thanks for writing to Office-Politics.

Arnie Herz

Arnie Herz, Esq.
Author, LegalSanity
Attorney at Law