In this update we look at some topical employment isses including the upcoming World Cup, the travel disruption caused by the volcanic ash and social networking websites.

If you would like to discuss any of these issues or have any other employment related query please contact me.

Donna

Football will no doubt take centre stage this summer when it kicks off on 11 June. The chances are that a large proportion of your workforce will be starting to think about how and where they will be watching the key games. The UK’s diverse working population means that your employees may be following other nations. World Cup "sickies" and heightened tension may well be a problem. Can your business survive the World Cup with both business productivity and good employee relations intact?

Click here to view our guidance on how to manage employees during the World Cup.

The use of social networking sites such as Bebo, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter has become increasingly common. Your business could be damaged if your staff make disparaging comments on such sites about your business activities, other staff, customers or clients.

There are a number of things that you should bear in mind. Click here to read our guidance.

The recent closure of airspace across Europe due to the volcanic eruption in Iceland has raised a number of employment-related issues. With reoccurence a distinct possibility you should be aware of the implications for your employees. Whatever decision you make regarding the absence of any affected employees, you should treat everyone consistently to avoid suggestions of unfairness or discrimination.

Click here to read the answers to a number of frequently asked questions.

The Court of Appeal has recently stated that when assessing the reasonableness of a disciplinary investigation which subsequently ends with dismissal, you should take into account the gravity of the consequences on the employee.  Where these are serious, the investigator must be "even-handed" in looking for evidence in the accused's favour as well as evidence against them.

Click here to read more.

In a recent case the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) decided that, when deciding whether to dismiss for gross misconduct, an employer was entitled to take into account a previous similar incident for which no formal warning had been given. This appears to be good news for employers who may not have dealt with previous disciplinary issues as they should have done. However, legal advice should always be taken in such situations as litigation is decided on a case by case basis.

Click here to read more.