Q&A: Employee Conduct Outside the Workplace – When Can Employers Take Action?
Published on: 13/08/2025
Issues Covered:
Article Authors The main content of this article was provided by the following authors.
Chris Ryan Senior Associate at A&L Goodbody LLP
Chris Ryan Senior Associate at A&L Goodbody LLP
Chris ryan no tie

Chris works as part of the A&L Goodbody LLP team advising clients across multiple sectors including financial services, technology, retail and healthcare. He advises clients on their day-to-day employment matters both non-contentious and contentious, including representing clients at the Workplace Relations Commission, Labour Court and the civil courts in relation to various complex contentious employment issues such as disciplinary and grievance procedures, bullying and harassment, injunctions and discrimination claims.

Stay ahead of the curve with our exclusive Q&A series, brought to you by leading law firm, A&L Goodbody, LLP, designed to answer your most pressing legal questions. These expert insights provide clear guidance to ensure your HR practices remain compliant and protect your organisation.  

When does an employee’s behaviour outside work become an employer’s business? With blurred lines between personal and professional lives, employers increasingly face tough decisions about “off-duty” conduct. Below, we address some of the most pertinent questions employers face when dealing with conduct that occurs outside of the workplace, in particular conduct which leads to a criminal conviction, including when, why, and how employers can take action, without risking legal pitfalls.

Are employers generally allowed to

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Disclaimer The information in this article is provided as part of Legal Island's Employment Law Hub. We regret we are not able to respond to requests for specific legal or HR queries and recommend that professional advice is obtained before relying on information supplied anywhere within this article. This article is correct at 13/08/2025
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