Big Brother bringing companies into disrepute

With the ninth series of Big Brother starting this week, viewers are anticipating what this year’s housemates will be like, especially as, in recent years, contestants have been subject to growing negative press as a result of their inappropriate behaviour.

As a result of this, Sarah Turner, employment law partner at turner parkinson LLP, points out that most employers would not consider allowing a member of staff to have a potential three months off work, not least due to the risk of the housemate bringing the company into disrepute. She said: “Businesses generally recognise that any media attention received from an employee being associated with the programme will be negative, since most people that go on the show are keen to move up the fame rankings, rather than a career ladder.”

This raises further questions of an employee’s responsibility to uphold their company’s reputation outside of work. From a recruitment perspective, Hannah Kewley, legal director at Sellick Partnership, Manchester, commented: “It is hard for employers to impose any real guidelines on their staff if they meet a client by chance on a Saturday night. We encourage our clients to trust their employees to be professional and have the common sense to not behave in a manner that might have a negative impact on their company’s image.

“Conversely, we would advise our candidates that if they bump into a client on a Saturday night out, for example, they should be polite and make pleasantries but then perhaps keep a distance so as to avoid embarrassment. This of course depends on the existing relationship the candidate and client have, and also on the role that the person plays within the company. Sometimes, staff socialising with clients outside of work may strengthen their relationship.”

Sarah Turner added: “What people get up to in their private lives, unless it impacts on their job, is largely their own business. It will be hard for an employer to dismiss a member of staff without hard evidence that their actions have damaged the reputation of the company. That said, all employees owe a duty of good faith and fidelity to their employer, which means that they cannot act in a manner contrary to the interests of the employer. Further some occupations are governed by professional bodies which regulate the conduct of employees both in and out or work.”