PUBLICATIONS
Duties of Employees in Cyprus
- Duty of obedience of lawful orders of the employer
The employee has the duty to abide to orders of the employer provided that these are legal and do not place the employee in any immediate danger. It should be noted that the failure to obey work rules may be considered a breach of this duty. This remains the case even if the rules are not contractual and even if they change from time to time.
- Duty to adapt
The employee has a duty to adapt to new methods introduced by the employer. This duty is not however one-sided. The employer will have to provide the appropriate training for the employeees before he able to introduce the new methods.
- Duty to account for secret profits made by him in the course of his employment
- Duty to co-operate
- Duty to exercise reasonable care, skill and competence
This duty will usually arise in the context of vicarious liability. i.e. if the employee in the course of employment acts negligently causing damage to someone else thus making the employer vicariously liable, then the employer will have a course of action against the employee to be compensated by the employee for the damages suffered as a result of the breach of the duty.
- Duty not to compete with the employer whilst in employment.
The employee has a duty not to compete with the employer whilst in employment. This includes cases were the employee is preparatorily coming into contact with (or even making a list of) clients of the employer prior to setting up his own business.
Unless there is an express term in the contract of employment, this duty does not extend to cases where the employee is no longer employed by the employer.
- Duty to account to his employer for all property entrusted to him by his employer and for all the money or property received by him for or on account of his employer
- Duty to perform his duties in person and not allowed to delegate the performance of his duties unless with the express or implied consent of the employer
This article is given for information purposes only and it does not constitute legal advice. For further information and advice please contact Mr. Evripides Hadjinestoros at eh@dhadjinestoros.com.
