The Key Word is CAUTION
by Pat Frost, Quay Consultancy
How many people use social networking websites without a thought as to how it might have a negative impact on their working lives?
Only a short time ago many people had not even heard of social networking yet now there has been an explosion of popularity in their use with 300 million reported worldwide users of Facebook alone, including millions in the UK. The use of the corporate social networking site LinkedIn, which can be very useful to a business, is described in more detail in the article on page 26
However, I want to raise a note of caution for employees using social networking websites.
Did you know many companies now research job applicants on social networking sites to look at their entries and then take a view on whether or not the applicant might be a suitable employee? Also, staff who are employed need to remember that their employer is very possibly able to see everything that they post on your site – and even if they can’t you can be sure that someone will tell them about any inappropriate postings! So, its always a good idea to think twice before posting possibly libelous comments about colleagues or management, or photos of yourself in any situation – or state of undress! – that your employer may consider brings their business into disrepute. An even more serious situation can arise if you make any posting that could breach the confidentiality of the business – but any of these situations could well find staff being subject to disciplinary action that could possibly lead to dismissal.
A balance has to be made between an employee’s right to a private life (which is enshrined in the Human Rights Act) and the employer’s right to protect their business and their reputation.
However, there have already been cases of employers taking action against staff for postings on social networking sites, e.g. a well-known airline dismissed 13 crew who posted inappropriate remarks about passengers and a police authority withdrew a promotion because of a disciplinary warning relating to activity on Facebook.
Some employers are also becoming increasingly concerned about the use of “smart phones” during working hours as some members of staff spend more and more time accessing social networking sites. It is becoming increasingly common for employers to monitor and limit, or in some cases even ban, the use of social networking sites on company computers and to stipulate that staff can only use personal mobile phones or pda’s during break times or in cases of emergency, and then only with their manager’s consent.
So the key word is “caution” when making any comments that could link back to the workplace – otherwise, to those of you who use social networking sites, ENJOY!!
