November 27, 2019
The FCA’s Chief Operating Officer, Georgina Philippou, was appalled to discover reported incidents of misbehaviour including “leaving cutlery and crockery in the kitchen areas, overflowing bins, stealing plants and charging cables from desks, catering and security teams being subject to verbal abuse, staff defecating and urinating on the floor in toilet cubicles, and leaving alcohol in sanitary bins”.
In an open letter to the 4,000 employees at the FCA’s headquarters, she set out these examples of misconduct and that she was “ashamed”.
When it comes to standards of behaviour, each employer will have their own set of rules for what is and isn’t considered appropriate. However, it is crucial for employers to manage staff behaviour properly in order to maintain a good reputation and avoid potential legal claims for unfair dismissal or discrimination.
Tips for employers on managing staff behaviour at work:
Make sure that you have a written Disciplinary Policy and Procedure in place setting out what amounts to misconduct/gross misconduct, the disciplinary process, and the potential disciplinary sanctions.
Train your staff on your policy so they know that misbehaviour won’t be tolerated and what the consequences of breaching the policy are.
Train your line managers on your policy so they can handle disciplinary situations confidently and reduce the risk of a procedural error, which could lead to a potential claim for unfair dismissal.
If a member of staff does breach your policy, ensure to act swiftly and firmly. If you have already warned your staff that certain behaviour may result in disciplinary action, you should be prepared to follow this up.
Make sure that you apply the rules fairly and consistently to all of your staff. Taking an inconsistent approach may send mixed messages and could lead to grievances being raised in relation to unfair bias.
