John Terry’s recent situation has brought the question into limelight againwhether it is an employee’s duty to uphold his employer’s reputation outside his work boundaries, according to an employment lawyer. John Terry, recently sacked from his post of the captain of the England team a few months ago, was allowed to continue to captain the Chelsea team.

A Rothera Dowson solicitor, John Buchanan, stressed upon the fact that employees have a duty to be truthful and faithful to their employer. If actions in their personal lives bring scandal to the organization, the employer has the right to take disciplinary measures, even up to firing the erring worker.

Commenting on Chelsea’s decision to retain Terry as captain, he said that it was a wise decision on the club’s part despite the brickbats from the public. He said that there was no relation between Terry’s extramarital escapades and what he does for the team, so it was only right that his conduct outside work not be considered as a factor for his removal. An individual’s privacy must be ensured as long as it is not contrary to the interests of the employer. Terry’s actions in no way had lowered the club’s reputation as an organization.

Unless what employees do in their personal lives directly affected their employers, it should considered their own private matter. Without solid evidence that his actions have harmed the organization’s image, an employer must be very careful while sacking any employee. John Buchanan cited the example of the Chelsea Football Club only, where, when Adrian Mutu tested positive for a performance boosting drug the Club reacted by sacking him quickly. It was patently obvious that Chelsea had made the right decisions in both the cases of Mutu and Terry.

Adrian Mutu was fired from the Chelsea club in 2004 after testing positive in a drug test. After a prolonged 5 year legal battle, Mutu was ordered to pay £14.7 million to the club for breaching his contract.

The CIPD Certificate in Employment Relations, Law and Practice (CERLAP) provides a firm foundation in all the areas of HR and employment law. It provides a comprehensive understanding of the law to allow organisations to set their own policies and procedures in context.