Back
Get in Touch Menu

Bear traps for the unwary employer

22 October 2014

I sympathise with employers when they rail against being forced to treat employees with kid gloves.

Employment law used to be a matter of common sense – if you were a good employer who had the best interests of your staff at heart, and treated them in accordance with natural justice, you were likely to stay on the right side of the law. However in recent years Parliament and the tribunals have developed a series of ‘bear traps’ which can produce unforeseen liabilities for the unwary employer. Two recent tribunal decisions provide a good illustration of this.

In Crime Reduction Initiatives v Lawrence, Ms Lawrence was suffering from work-related stress and depression. After she had been absent for seven months, her employer invited her to a capability meeting which was erroneously couched in terms of a disciplinary process. The tribunal found that the tone and content of the letter had intimidated her and discouraged her from attending the meeting, following which she was dismissed. The Employment Appeals Tribunal held that this procedural flaw rendered her dismissal unfair.

In McMillan v Airedale NHS Trust, Ms McMillan was disciplined and given a final written warning following a finding of misconduct. She appealed unsuccessfully. The appeal panel took steps to reconvene with a view to possibly increasing the sanction but, before they could do so, Ms McMillan applied for an injunction to stop them. The court referred to the ACAS Code of Practice on Discipline and Grievance at Work which, though not legally binding, states that an appeal should not result in any increase in penalty. This is because it may deter individuals from appealing in the first place, and may deny them an appeal against the higher sanction. The court said that whilst this was not a blanket prohibition, if you wish to be able to increase the sanction on appeal, you must expressly say so in your written policy.

These cases show that in employment law, process is all important. Having a qualified professional review your written procedures, and guide you at each step of the way, will pay dividends.

We will be discussing these and other developments at our breakfast employment law updates in the Holiday Inn, Quedgeley, Gloucester on 18 and 27 November 2014. To book, email events@willans.co.uk.

Disclaimer: All legal information is correct at the time of publication but please be aware that laws may change over time. This article contains general legal information but should not be relied upon as legal advice. Please seek professional legal advice about your specific situation - contact us; we’d be delighted to help.
Contact
Matthew Clayton MA LLM (Cantab), CIPP/E
Partner
View profile
Mathew Clayton
Related services
Share this article
Resources to help

Related articles

HR support service launched

Employment & business immigration

We’re pleased to announce the launch of our HR support service, to assist businesses of all sizes with both their day-to-day and strategic HR requirements. As Cheltenham solicitors, we work…

Willans
Solicitors

Workplace grievances: how to avoid conflicts between workers

Employment & business immigration

As an employer, what can you do to limit the amount of workplace grievances raised in your organisation? Our employment law team and newly launched HR support consultancy can assist…

Jenny Hawrot LLB (Hons)
Partner

Equal Pay Day 2024: How can your business help achieve equal pay?

Employment & business immigration

This year, 20 November marks Equal Pay Day. Our team of employment law experts look into what it highlights and how businesses can help tackle the issues surrounding the gender…

Achante Anson LLB (Hons)
Trainee solicitor
Contact us