How far can prohibitions go (during and outside) working hours?

An article in the Financial Times announced that an insurance company was going to ban its employees from drinking alcohol during their lunch break, and anyone caught doing so could face penalties and even dismissal.

The introduction of these kinds of prohibitions in the context of employment relationships usually sparks heated debate from a legal standpoint given that they entail evident restrictions on the employee’s freedom, especially where the conduct in question takes place at a time and place in which the employee is not in fact working and cannot therefore be considered as working hours.

Read more on Garrigues Labor and Employment Blog