Your duties as an employee may be explained in the contract of employment, but the law also says that there are certain obligations and duties owed by an employee to their employer, even if the contract does not mention them.

These include but are not limited to the following:

• To do what a reasonable employee would do in any situation.
• Duty to be honest.
• Not to disrupt business, for example, taking part in industrial action.
• Disclose wrong-doing, (does not include “spent” convictions). But, the employee must disclose wrong-doing by other employees, even if this will incriminate them.
• Carry out and follow orders of the employer (as long as they are legal).
• Not to disclose the employer’s confidential information.
• Work with reasonable care and skill.
• Look after the employer’s property if using it.
• Not to compete in business against the employer while still working for them as an employee.
• Not to take bribes.
• Be prepared to change when the job changes, for example, if computers or other machinery are introduced to help the employee do their job.
• Give any inventions to employer if these are developed by the employee during their employment.