Employment consultancy Irenicon has produced a free online guide to help employers address the legal issues relating to the tsunami.
Time off rights
Anyone whose dependants are injured or killed has a limited right to unpaid dependants leave. This type of leave is designed to be short-term and is not likely to cover anything but the shortest of absences. There is no legal entitlement to compassionate leave.
Stress and bereavement at work
Employers should consider whether an increase in an individual’s stress level puts them at increased risk in the workplace – either psychologically or physically.
Data protection and fundraising
If an organisation holds data on individuals – such as their personal e-mail addresses, it will be an offence under the Data Protection Act to circulate those individuals with fund raising appeals, or give their details to anyone else to enable them to do so, unless that is a registered purpose for which the data is held – for example if you are a charity and you tell people you will contact them for appeals.
www.irenicon.com
