Law firm warns employers over online Xmas shopping

Companies should take precautions to protect their businesses as a growing numbers of staff turn to the Web for their Christmas shopping, according to Nicholas Moore, head of employment at law firm Osborne Clarke.

Moore said there are certain areas where employers need to protect themselves, including employees mistakenly contracting on behalf of the company when purchasing an item. The solution, he claims includes restricting Web usage by determining what are acceptable sites, and laying down guidelines on what is acceptable surfing time.

Osborne Clarke ecommerce lawyer, Ashley Winton, added that there are four key factors employers should make employees aware of before ordering goods online:

Firstly, find out where the company is based - especially if the goods are to arrive before Christmas. Secondly, buying from a reputable outfit prevents being ripped off - so he suggested consumers look for a trademark such as the Which?Web Trader standard mark from the Consumers' Association.

Thirdly, Winton also warned users to pay attention to the small print and lastly, and very crucially, pay attention to the details of credit card protection the site offers.