News: Contract Law
Employment law training: Nicknames 'can present problems'
08 May 2009
Employment law training must highlight the risks that nicknames in the workplace can present businesses, an expert asserts.
Michael Bell, employment partner at Halliwells, tells People Management that a number of factors must be taken into consideration if employment tribunals or disputes are to be avoided.
He says employees should ask their colleagues before applying any derivation or deviation from their name, as even shortening it could potentially cause offensive.
Linking nicknames to personal characteristics holds the highest level of risk, as if these are deemed to become name-calling companies can face constructive dismissal and discrimination complaints, he states.
Mr Bell claims: "All staff should be informed of the dangers of incurring personal liability by using nicknames that could be perceived as being tied to a protected characteristic - for example, age, national origin, race or disability."
In other news, senior associate at Allen and Overy Julia Gorham recently told People Management that employment law training must include advice on controlling the use of Twitter at work.
