Actions that may result in legal action against an employer (part 2)

Harassment

To use a specific example, internet pornography has become increasingly prevalent within the workplace with varying consequences for both employee and employer.
Recently, this has been legally proven to have created an 'atmosphere of obscenity' in which female colleagues have felt discriminated against. Discrimination complaints do not have a compensation cap, and so should be given serious consideration by all employers.

Confidentiality

If your employee is unhappy at work or believes they may have been unfairly dismissed, they may tamper with, copy or remove sensitive data crucial to the running of your business. This could be easily done with 'standard' access to email or a company intranet.

Formation of Contracts

Although this is a constantly evolving field of law, emails do contain a signature and have frequently been given as evidence of a binding contractual agreement in the UK. Employees who have no purchase authority may not understand the impact of their actions and unknowingly agree to the purchase of goods or services on their employer's behalf. The power of email should therefore be understood all employees.

Written by Wytech