Can we discipline an employee for unauthorised absence as a result of a Christmas party?

Posted in : First Tuesday Q&A NI on 7 December 2010
Arthur Cox
Arthur Cox
Issues covered:

In general, employers are lenient with staff returning to work after a Christmas party. You may feel, however, that if an employee calls in sick the day after the Christmas party, he or she is pulling a “sickie” due to the amount he or she drank the night before.

You can treat unauthorised absence as a disciplinary matter. The problem with doing so, however, is being able to prove that the employee is not genuinely sick. Mere suspicion will not be enough.

It is a good idea to warn employees in advance of the party that disciplinary action may be taken for unauthorised absence. You should also let employees know what you expect with regard to such matters as returning to the office after a

Already a subscriber?

Click here to login and access the full article.

Don't miss out, start your free trial today!

Are you fully aware of the benefits of Legal-Island's Employment Law Update Service? We help hundreds of people like you understand how the latest changes in employment law impact on your business.

Help understand the ramifications of each important case from NI, GB and Europe

24/7 access to all the content in the Legal Island Vault for research case law and HR issues

Ensure your organisation’s policies and procedures are fully compliant with NI law

Receive free preliminary advice on workplace issues from the employment team at Worthingtons Solicitors

Already a subscriber, now or Start my free trial today

Back to Q&A's This article is correct at 02/09/2015
Disclaimer:

The information in this article is provided as part of Legal-Island's Employment Law Hub. We regret we are not able to respond to requests for specific legal or HR queries and recommend that professional advice is obtained before relying on information supplied anywhere within this article.

Arthur Cox
Arthur Cox

The main content of this article was provided by Arthur Cox. Contact telephone number is +44 28 9026 2673 or email rosemary.lundy@arthurcox.com

View all articles by Arthur Cox