Can Your Employer Suspend You?
Most people are lucky enough to work in an environment where the employees and managerial staff get along well. Even so, people often do not agree in certain situations. When this happens, things are hopefully resolved amicably. When this is not the case, it might be necessary for a boss or manager to wish to suspend someone from work. They might even want to go so far as to suspend an employee’s contract entirely. While school principals often need to suspend children for various reasons, people might wonder if it is legal for an employee to be suspended from their job.
There is nothing in common law that gives an employer the right to suspend a worker without their pay. That includes situations where an employee’s behavior was bad enough to get them fired, if that were possible. When creating a contract at the commencement of a new position, an agreement regarding suspension can be included. If such a contract, statute, or award does already exist, an employee can be lawfully suspended from work. They might not be entitled to their wages, or be under obligation to carry out any duties in the workplace.
A suspension of an employment contract is just as it sounds: anything required by either side is formally suspended. However, the agreement might still require certain actions from one, or both, sides in the case of a suspension. It really depends on the terms of the agreement, statute, or award, as to what is required by each party. The agreement might also have stipulations regarding an employee’s right to resign, and effectively terminate the contract themselves.
