Almost all of us get annoyed with our employers at some stage of our working life. Letting off steam about the matter to family and friends can sometimes be helpful. However, you need to think very carefully before you vent your frustration on social media. You need to remember that the internet is a media platform, and that your bosses may find out what you have said.
Many workers appreciate that they shouldn’t use social media sites whilst at work. However, because it’s best to avoid the risk of your employer seeing your comments about them, you also need to be wary when making social media posts via your phone, tablet or home PC.
Some companies have very strict, formal policies on social media use, which set out in detail what is acceptable and what isn’t. These policies may also stipulate that disciplinary action can be taken against staff who breach the policy. However, even if your employer doesn’t have one of these, it’s still good practice to think carefully before posting any comments about them on social media.
Think carefully before accepting friend requests and the like from your colleagues, especially those at higher levels in the company. Even accepting requests from colleagues at the same level could cause issues if they subsequently get promoted above you.
Try to delete any of your own posts that show you in a bad light. Where you have been tagged in potentially embarrassing photos by other people, try to get yourself untagged.
Employers may also not be best pleased to see social media profiles that:
- Reported you getting drunk or taking drugs
- Involved racist or other offensive remarks
- Boasted about you having wasted time on non-work tasks when at work
- Involved you stating you had faked an illness to get a day off, or else explained what else you had been doing on a supposed ‘sick day’
- Showed that you had engaged in some form of ‘cyber bullying’
The same applies if you are an agency worker. Although legally you aren’t an employee of the company you are working for, it’s still best to avoid being negative on social media.
Recently, an employee with 17 years’ service and an unblemished disciplinary record was sacked by an electronics company over Facebook comments indicating that she was opposed to a proposed move of premises. The decision to dismiss her was backed by an employment tribunal.
