An employment law question, please help if you can .

getmore4less

I have found that askng for instruction in writing can sometimes help especialy if there are higher ups that may not know.

MD in his case so that may not work is this as high as it goes?

Is the company private/public are there shareholders and a board contacting them might work.

What would the recriminations for the company be if found out.

Who is resonsible for overseaing this area.

Some trangressions you cannot get off by saying I was just doing as I was told.

*Dusty*

I would contact the relevant government authorities on it, the problem is that at the end of the day you are knowingly breaking the law, unwillingness doesn't really come into it. They'll be able to advise you best, possibly start with citizens advice?

I know certain things with food handling etc the individual employee can be held liable as opposed to the company.

dmg24

Are you sure that the act is not a criminal offence? Some acts which may appear to be civil matters may actually be dealth with through the criminal courts (health and safety is a prime example).

bap98189

Can you give us more details about what exactly you are being asked to do. Without this information it is very difficult to offer advice.

kingfisherblue

bap98189 wrote: »

Can you give us more details about what exactly you are being asked to do. Without this information it is very difficult to offer advice.

Although I agree with this poster that more details would enable people to give more accurate advice, I think that it could potentially identify the OP.

bap98189

kingfisherblue wrote: »

Although I agree with this poster that more details would enable people to give more accurate advice, I think that it could potentially identify the OP.

I wouldn't suggest the OP identify the company, but unless the company is doing something very unusual, it should be pretty easy to give details without identifying themselves.

ceridwen

bap98189 wrote: »

I wouldn't suggest the OP identify the company, but unless the company is doing something very unusual, it should be pretty easy to give details without identifying themselves.

I have a feeling that may not be the case.....:(

I have been thinking further about this today - and recall reading an article in"The Ecologist" magazine about some sort of association of environmental protection lawyers in Britain (cant recall exactly when this article was printed - other than "recent years" - so suggest a search of "The Ecologist" archives of the last 3 years for it - all of which, I think, are now online). This group of socially-conscious lawyers has been formed to (err...sorrees...folks I cant think of any other way to phrase this than in my own personal "hippy dippy" language....) protect Gaia (ie the Planet) by using the law "on her behalf". Errr....<cough> I'll revert to "standard language" now...but I guess you get my drift. Depending just how major this environmental damage is - then maybe one of their members might have some useful advice/support to give?

Here ya' go for their website:

www.theecologist.org/

EDIT: I cant be sure if this is the correct name - but I wonder if this is the group concerned:

http://www.ukela.org/

These people might be more likely to be them:

http://www.elflaw.org/site/

I suggest contacting elflaw to find out more clearly what the position is.

jdturk

ceridwen wrote: »

One other thought on that - I wonder if an employee could resign and claim "Constructive Dismissal" for this if need be - though hopefully you wont come anywhere near to that being necessary.

If there is an immediate danger of being forced to go against your conscience/the law then maybe you could go off on sick leave whilst you investigate your options?

Obviously not if the employers asks once and the employee refuses, if it is repeated and pressurised then more so!

ceridwen

jdturk wrote: »

Obviously not if the employers asks once and the employee refuses, if it is repeated and pressurised then more so!

...errrr....maybe its a glass or two of wine with dinner clouding my brain here.....:beer::o - but I am a bit confused as to what you are saying here.......

Can you phrase this another way please?:)

anamenottaken

ceridwen wrote: »

Depending just how major this environmental damage is - then maybe one of their members might have some useful advice/support to give?

An interesting collection of websites, ceridwen, but I think the environmental example was just to show that level of malpractice rather than the type of thing which was being requested of the OP. It was probably being used because the actual action is not in that area at all.