Suspending an Employee - When To Do It & For How Long?

Introduction

If an employee is accused of an act which amounts to gross misconduct, it is not uncommon for that employee to be suspended on full pay whilst an investigation into the allegations takes place.

However, the Courts are increasingly concerned about this approach. If an employee is suspended it is often viewed as a punishment, and suspension can sometimes linger, making it more and more difficult for the employee to return to the workplace if the accusations are not upheld.

The increase of remote working adds in an additional complication. If an employer wants to suspend an employee how can the employer be sure that the employee is not working, and is not doing anything that might damage the reputation of the employer during a period of suspension?

This short webinar will review recent case law rulings including the Court of Appeal ruling in Agoreyo v London Borough of Lambeth 2019 and will consider when it is appropriate to suspend an employee, and how the period of suspension should be managed.

What You Will Learn

This webinar will cover the following:

• Suspension
• Recent case law: The use of suspension
• The purpose of suspension
• Paid or unpaid?
• When to Suspend
• When it would be appropriate to suspend
• Potential breach of contract claims
• Suspending the Remote Worker
• Specific issues to consider
• Ongoing monitoring during suspension
• Managing a Period of Suspension
• The length of suspension
• Addressing the return of an employee after suspension

This webinar was recorded on 27th June 2023