Employee rights or company reputation - what should come first?

The case of Sam Allardyce and his ‘trial by media’ raises an important question about what is more important; employee rights or business reputation.

Allardyce unknowingly told undercover reporters how to bypass rules on player ownership, and the publicising of his wrongdoing via the press and social media led to him and the FA making a swift decision to terminate his position as England’s manager. 

Speaking to HR Grapevine, Suzanne Horne, employment lawyer and Partner at Paul Hastings asks: “Was it the right strategy to pressure him into resigning so quickly in an attempt to protect the organisation’s brand and reputation?”

Although he held a public role and received a large annual salary, Horne says these factors should not cancel out employment rights.