Staff at Lloyds of London have been told to dress casually this week, and enter work through the back entrance while other London workers have been advised to avoid external meetings and non-essential travel but Helga Breen, employment partner at Lawrence Graham, warns these suggestions may not be enough to discharge employers' legal obligations.
She said: "Employers have a specific legal responsibility to take reasonable care for the health and safety of their employees and not to expose them to unnecessary risks. This duty extends to taking care of staff when they are off the premises, whether travelling to and from work and on business."
Breen added employees that choose to take part in the various protests could face reprisals at work. She said: "Workers taking a time-honoured sickie to attend demonstrations can expect to face disciplinary penalties, including even dismissal, if they are caught. If it comes to it an employer can probably justify instant dismissal."
This morning marked an unusual commute for workers in the City of London. London Bridge station was busy with commuters as usual - although most wore jeans and casual clothes while those wearing business dress had mostly covered them with anoraks.
Liverpool Street station, the main railway station in the City of London, was reported as busy but most commuters had opted for casual wear. And the Waterloo and City Underground Line, which connects Waterloo Station to the Bank of England was much quieter than normal and most of the passengers were wearing denim rather than three-piece suits.
Demonstrations are scheduled to begin at 11am this moring and HR magazine will keep you updated with all the stories both outside and inside the G20 Summit, throughout the day, as soon as they break.
G20: Workers in the City of London brace themselves for summit protests
As employers in the City of London batten down the hatches in preparation for potentially violent protests surrounding the G20 Summit at Excel London, one lawyer has warned employers they may not be doing enough to protect their staff from the risk.
