The phenomenon that isBODYGUARDcharting the relationship between a personal protection officer (PPO) David Budd and Home Secretary Julia Montague raises some key HR questions about personal relationships within the workplace.

 

In the situation between Budd and Montague, the main challenge and concern is not just due to Montague’s profile and important position within the government; but also due to her seniority.

 

It is vital that Organisations have a clear code of conduct policy in place covering relationships at work.

A number of Company’s now allow employees to use their own devices, such as smart-phones, computers and tablets, to carry out their duties. By your own devices have clear benefits: including a creating a more effective way of working, increased flexibility and productivity which all contribute to a happier working environment boosting morale.

However as with everything there are pitfalls. With the increased growth or employees using their own personal devices to do their work consideration should be made regarding the level of security on these personal devises.

It is a well known fact that it is good practice to maintain good audit trails through written records of discussion to log performance both good and bad in respect of employees. However is it a good idea to allow an employee to make an audio recording of a formal or informal meeting?

 

A number of employers believe that when an employee attends a meeting, such as a grievance or disciplinary hearing, particularly if they waive their statutory right to be unaccompanied, it is reasonable to allow them to tape record the meeting if they request to do so.

Throughout June a debate was sparked across a multitude of social network portals asking the question; Does good looks improve your employment prospects?

With the internet dating website beautifulpeople.com planning to launch a recruitment agency, it further perpetuates the belief that looks count for a lot both personally and now professionally. The concept from beautifulpeople.com is to enable employers to post their vacancies on the website and invite good looking applicants to submit their CV’s.

It has not been very long since the public fury over the scandal involving several MP’s and their expenses. Therefore, one would assume nobody would risk the potential fallout from submitting expenses for personal items or mileage they have not incurred in the proper performance of their duties?

 

Sadly it appears that many employees, given the opportunity, may still see fit to embellish their expenses. Based on our calculations up to a quarter of expenses are ‘fiddled’ and as such fraudulent.

The Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 is often referred to as the Whistle-blowing Act. Employees who "blow the whistle" on their employer by making a protected disclosure, such as a exposé concerning an alleged criminal offence or other wrongdoing, have the legal right not to be dismissed, selected for redundancy or subjected to any detriment due to the disclosure.

A disclosure made in the public interest will be protected where the employee makes the allegations base on a reasonable belief of wrong doing by the employer.

After the media hurricane surrounding Paris Brown and her comments on tweeter swiftly followed by Trainee accountant Emma Way boasting about knocking a cyclist off his bike on twitter, more and more employers are asking what can be done to safeguard their business from risk whilst respecting the employee’s right to a private life.

It is without doubt that social media is an integral part of a business’s success in today’s economy. Social media tools are being used as part of large scale sales and marketing campaigns, innovative methods of recruiting new staff as well as a method to interact easily with customers and employees alike.