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.
City banker wins sexism case for unequal pay and victimisation
A financial product manager for the French bank BNP Paribas has won her case for direct sex discrimination, victimisation and...
Duty of care and the employee accused of wrongdoing
All HR professionals are familiar with the stress and anxiety associated with a grievance or disciplinary process. Ashleigh Webber examines...
Steep rise in sexual harassment complaints involving law firms
An apparent sharp rise in the number of sexual harassment complaints involving solicitors has drawn attention to law firms' misuse of gagging orders.
‘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...
