Right to be accompanied

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Acas has published a draft revised Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures providing new guidance relating to a worker’s right to be accompanied. It follows a recent case and confirms that an employer must agree to a worker’s request to be accompanied by any chosen companion from one of the statutory categories. As a reminder the permitted categories are a fellow worker or trade union representative or official.

The revised code clarifies that the word “reasonable” in the Code referring to a request from the worker relates to the making of the request not to the choice of the worker’s companion. The guidance also now confirms that a worker can change their chosen companion if they wish without waiving their rights to change that choice. The revised Code is currently awaiting Parliamentary approval but merely confirms an earlier case in any event.

Written by
Edward Aston
6th February 2015