Eight in ten employers dismiss on the spot

25/04/2008

Eight in ten employers say they have dismissed a member of staff without following the proper procedures, new research has found.

The research, by employment law firm Peninsula, suggested the majority of employers have taken the Sir Alan Sugar ‘you’re fired’ line of dismissing employees, putting themselves at risk of legal action.

Over 60% of workers claimed to have been fired ‘on the spot’ with no warning, depriving them of the opportunity to argue their case.

Deb Gibbons, head of employee relations at the company, said firing workers without following procedure is ‘without doubt not a good idea’.

“I’m sure there is no doubt Alan Sugar is a good employer, but his example on The Apprentice may be seen as a bad one and is something I would advise employers not to do,” she said.

She added that new grievance procedures had been put into place to ensure employees are treated fairly.

“It’s amazing that despite our age of protected employee rights, so many employers fire on the spot. There are a number of reasons why – they may dislike the individual, they can be in a bad mood, but when tempers boil, what they are doing may be wrong,” she said.

“The law now makes it very hard to sack on the spot, so if you’re an employer, think about what you’re doing. Are you following the law? Is the reason justified? Have you given them warning?

“It’s all about following procedures. If you’re an employee, then if you’re asked to attend a disciplinary meeting, check to ensure the company is following disciplinary procedures,” she said.