Disciplinary help please

[Matutu]

Hey Guys,

My father is a director a small company 5-10 people. They do mechanical installations and have 2 teams of 2 men on the books.

The directors now wish to move these teams to self employed with 3 members all very keen on the idea, however the new "trainee" is very young and only been on for 10months, went nuts at this prospect. Phoned him(father who is the director) up called him all sorts then left for the day at 11:30 and no one can get hold of him etc etc. He is out of his probation since he is over his 6months trial period.

From the sounds of it he will not also be turning up for work tomorrow, now the company is a small close company and has never encountered this, where do they stand?

Do they have to write a first disciplinary warning letter and give a period for him to reply? Or can they make him redundant straight away?

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Matutu]

oh no no we are not wanting to fire him, they were discussing the options with the labour. No decisions have been made at all, it was just a general discussion but he went nuts :S

 

[Matutu]

Hold on, hold on, you're making substantial changes to his T&Cs of employment ie "firing" him and then taking him back on as a contractor?

I would be very careful how you play this!

Edit: Call a lawyer!

No nothing has been decided or anything like that. It was only discussed with the labour if it would be something they would prefer to do as 2 of them have been keen for a while to do that. So it was just a general open discussions to find peoples feelings on it and if its something that could work. However he did not take the thought at all well and as I said walked out, phoned a director and swore etc etc and has not been heard of since.