HRD & Payroll Solutions continues to bring HR Zone members a range of HR tips. This week’s tip looks at companion at discipline hearing.
Q: Companion at discipline hearing
We have arranged a formal disciplinary hearing for an employee whose timekeeping has been particularly bad. He insists on bringing a trade union official into the meeting with him. We do not recognise any trade union and there is no interest shown by any other of our employees. How do we stand?
A:Reply
Since the employee is being asked to attend a meeting at the end of which he may be given a formal warning or be dismissed, he is entitled to bring with him either a work colleague or a full-time trade union official. It is irrelevant which union and whether or not you recognise it. This is the employee’s right in law. Whoever comes along as the companion is entitled to address the meeting, to confer with the employee and to pose questions, but is not entitled to answer questions on behalf of the employee.
Previous HR tips
HR Tip – Probation periods
Breach of notice period
Notice for senior staff
Developing women managers
A promotion that failed
Fixing holidays
Holiday for temporary employees
A redundancy problem
Behaviour outside work
Suspension from work
Informing employees of new legislation
Deductions from wages
Children on site
Workplace affairs
Disabled workers
Attitude problems
Redundancy selection
Custom and practice
Working Bank holidays
Disciplinary and dismissal procedures
Time off work for funerals
References
Translating rules
Banning smoking at work
Burden of proof
Contracts of employment
