Employers told ‘think twice at Christmas’

Press, 24 December 1986, Page 23

Employers told ‘think twice at Christmas’

NZPA London Quick-tempered employers have been warned to think twice before sacking workers for Christmas high jinks for they might discover that industrial tribunals take a more measured view of alleged misbehaviour over Christmas, Commander Brian Raincock, chairman of a company specialising in providing insurance for employers, said that Christmas could can prove an especially expensive time for hasty decisions. Cases were often considered in the cool of summer long after the sacking had taken place. He quoted the case of a woman sacked on the spot for using a forklift truck to dump the canteen Christmas tree over a factory fence. She claimed unfair dismissal, won her case and was awarded compensation amounting to more than 18 months pay. Then there was the case of a man fired for raiding the works kitchen after an office party. A tribunal awarded him compensation equivalent to 30 weeks pay, and said

the figure would have been higher had he not found another job. There was an occasion when a female employee poured lager over the guest of a managing director. She did it to cool the ardour of the guest, who was pestering her. The man complained and the woman was sacked. But an industrial tribunal awarded her £2500 ($6950) and a fur ther £5OO (51390) for injured feelings. She had argued that a male employee would not have been subjected to the same sexual harassment. Commander Raincock said his company, the Legal Protection Group, would even have a man on duty on Christmas Day ready to answer the telephone from employers regretting a hasty decision. Gill Cobau, head of the Industrial Society’s Information Service, said: “Quite frankly any firm that thinks that the way to cure excessive high jinks at the office Christmas party by sacking the morning after deserves all the problems it will certainly get.”