News: Contract Law
Employment law reminder follows BNP leak
25 November 2008
Employment law training will help managers act carefully and consistently when it comes to avoiding discrimination or unfair dismissal claims.
The advice comes from Audrey Williams, Eversheds law firm's head of discrimination, following the publication of details about British National Party (BNP) members which she thinks may prompt some employers to take action.
She points out to the BBC that employees have the right not to be unfairly dismissed after they have held their post for a year or more - and letting someone go for belonging to the BNP could be "difficult to justify".
"An employer will be on firmer ground if it can show that membership of certain organisations is incompatible with the individual's job or has a negative impact on colleagues, customers and the local community, and that there is a clear policy spelling this out," Ms Williams observes.
The Employment Appeal Tribunal states that making BNP members redundant on the grounds they are racist would be "unlawful race discrimination" - unless similar action is taken against members of non-white racist bodies.
One or more former BNP employees were blamed for last week's leaked information - containing the names, addresses and emails of 10,000 supporters - whose publication was prevented under an injunction earlier this year.
