Watching pornographic material in the workplace is a sackable offence

An unnamed Conservative MP has been accused of watching pornography in the House of Commons chamber whilst sitting next to a female MP. 

Watching pornography in the workplace would be considered an act of gross misconduct with instant dismissal in most workplaces, says Collyer Bristow employment lawyer Daniel Zona.

“Most employers will have workplace policies that explain how IT and communications equipment provided by a company can be used. They will often explicitly state that the watching or downloading of pornographic material will be considered an act of gross misconduct. Watching pornographic material on a personal device will be no defence, particularly if in an open environment or seen by colleagues.

“Employers will in most instances see this as gross misconduct with the employee dismissed without notice.

“Female colleagues will understandably feel deeply uncomfortable if they see a male colleague opening watching pornography. Employers who do not act could find themselves facing harassment claims.”

About Collyer Bristow LLP

1. Collyer Bristow LLP is a long-established law firm based in London, providing a wide range of legal services to high net worth individuals and medium sized businesses The firm has a particular reputation for its Private Wealth, Real Estate, Intellectual Property, Media/Entertainment and Dispute Resolution services.
2. The firm has 85 fee earners which includes 30 partners. The firm and its individual lawyers are ranked in both Chambers and the Legal 500 directories.
3. The firm has an office in Geneva, supporting its Private Wealth practice, and is able to provide advice to international clients across multiple jurisdictions.
4. The firm’s highly experienced partners offer in-depth expertise and industry knowledge in commercial and residential real estate, corporate and commercial, dispute resolution, reputation management, employment, IP, insolvency, divorce and tax and estate planning.
5. The ethos at Collyer Bristow is one of ‘personal’ service. All partners are professional yet approachable, working directly with clients to offer high quality legal advice as well as tailoring services to their individual needs. The firm’s core objective is to deliver consistently excellent services to clients.
6. The firm has been championing emerging talent in contemporary art for almost thirty years. It supports and promotes young artists through its in-house art gallery and independently curated exhibition programme.

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