Discipline and grievances
A disciplinary procedure and grievance procedure permit employers to deal fairly and consistently with employee misconduct and complaints from employees about the workplace.
The “Acas code of practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures” provides employers with the principles for handling workplace disciplinaries and grievances. Employment tribunals will take the code into account when considering relevant cases, with the possibility of a 25% adjustment in any compensation awarded.
‘HR department’ needed to tackle bullying in Parliament
The House of Commons is in need of an HR department to help stamp out the bullying and harassment that many MPs’ staff experience.
Covert recording is not always misconduct, finds EAT
The Employment Appeal Tribunal has clarified when it is acceptable for an employee to make a covert recording of a...
Top 10 HR questions June 2019: Ex-employee grievances
Can an employer ignore a grievance if the employee no longer works for the organisation?
The most popular FAQ on...
TfL employee wins discrimination claim after manager doubts his command of English
A Transport for London employee who was told he could not take part in training and conference calls because English...
Top 10 HR questions May 2019: Ramadan, redundancy and references
Many employers will have staff who have been fasting over the last month, as they observe Ramadan.
The most popular...
‘Black and white minstrel’ worker wins racial harassment appeal
An employee who dressed as a “black and white minstrel” at a work Christmas party and sung a “racist” song...
Top 10 HR questions April 2019: Maximum compensation, holiday entitlement and positive action
The annual increase to the limits on compensation that can be awarded in an...
Top 10 HR questions March 2019: Anonymous witness rights
If a witness in a disciplinary procedure wishes to remain anonymous, how can the employer balance their privacy against the...
School loses appeal in gay headteacher constructive dismissal decision
A school in Wales has had its appeal dismissed in a case where a gay headteacher claimed for constructive dismissal....
Suspending an employee: Avoiding a knee-jerk reaction
An employee facing disciplinary action may be legitimately suspended from work, but there are circumstances where any such suspension may...
Loopholes leave Westminster staff vulnerable to sexual harassment
Workers in Westminster are left “woefully unprotected” if they are sexually harassed in Parliament, due to glaring loopholes in equality...
NHS staff make hundreds of bullying and harassment complaints
Hundreds of bullying and sexual harassment allegations have been made against NHS staff over the past five years, further highlighting...
NHS worker who reported suicidal thoughts was unfairly dismissed
An NHS ambulance technician who was threatened with legal action after he reported feeling suicidal was unfairly dismissed, a tribunal...
The 10 most important employment law cases in 2018
As always, HR professionals had their fair share of employment law cases to keep track of in 2018, but what...
Alex Salmond sexual harassment investigation ruled unlawful
Former Scottish first minister Alex Salmond has won his legal challenge against the way the Scottish government handled an investigation...
