While no employer wants to be in a situation where they need to dismiss an employee, it is an unavoidable part of business and must be handled correctly. Having clear dismissal procedures will ensure that no potentially damaging mistakes are made during the process of dismissing an employee. Employees must be aware of what constitutes an offence worthy of dismissal. While serious breaches of discipline such as gross misconduct are obvious sackable offences, many employees may not be aware of issues such as bribery. By having a clear anti bribery policy, staff will not only have clear guidelines on what counts as bribery, they will also be unable to claim ignorance should they be dismissed for a bribery offence. It is important to consider the employment equality act before commencing any form of dismissal procedure. An employer must have clear evidence that any dismissal is justified and cannot be viewed as a form of discrimination, either by sexuality, gender, disability or age or any other factor not related to misconduct.
Explaining dismissal procedures to employees
Once an employer has established a firm set of guidelines for behaviour, including dismissal procedures, these must be clearly explained to employees. Producing an employee handbook which includes all of this information is a popular method of getting this information out, with employees required to sign a form indicating they have read and understood the guidelines. This ensures that an employer’s dismissal procedures cannot be questioned by a member of staff, covering the employer from any potential legal action should they find reason to dismiss the worker in question.
Dismissal procedure advice from Peninsula
If you are looking for employment law advice on dismissals or any other issue, call 0844 892 2772 for a quick and detailed answer 24 hours a day. You can also arrange a callback at a more convenient time or email us at advice@peninsula-uk.com.
