Where an Employee Has Left Employment but is Then Found to Have Acted Fraudulently, Can The Employer Bring a Claim For Breach of Contract?

Within an employer’s disciplinary rules or disciplinary procedure there will usually be a list, or examples, of what constitutes gross misconduct. This list will usually include fraud. Therefore, fraud on the part of an employee is likely to amount to a fundamental breach of contract that, if the employee was still employed, would entitle the employer to terminate the contract.

The tribunal will have jurisdiction to hear an employer’s claim for breach of contract against a former employee if, and only if, that former employee has included a contract claim in their ET1 claim form which has been served on the employer. The claim would therefore be a contractual counterclaim. However, if the