Be careful what you say about your employer on social media
Wednesday 28th November 2012, 3:00PM GMT.
Claire Kingham of Viberts
STAFF can be sacked for what they say about their firms on sites like Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin, an employment law specialist has warned.
And people cannot expect personal communications made on work computers to stay private, according to Claire Kingham of law firm Viberts.
The lawyer has advised businesses to have a clear policy on social media and personal email use to make sure they can act to protect their reputation if an employee makes derogatory comments.
She said that where an employer is acting within the parameters of a policy, then employees may not have a reasonable expectation of privacy.
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I would always use a technique known as SSH tunneling (it’s a lot easier than it sounds!) to encrypt my data when using personal e-mail/social media at work. You can of course just wait until you get home!
That said if you use Facebook or similar to publicly criticise your employer, you can hardly complain if they sack you surely?
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Can only assume that your employer is ignorant of the security risks in letting you do that!
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It’s not a question of what they allow, it’s a question of what they know about! True they can’t monitor the traffic going in and out of my machine but you could just as easily accidentally download a virus going through the corporate firewall, plus I am sure only to check my e-mail, internet banking and Facebook so hopefully there’s nothing too onerous there.
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What if your comments are justified?
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Justified? According to who?
You’d better have a good lawyer
If employees are allowed to say what they want about their employers then imagine it the other way around…..quite a few people would find themselves on the “unemployable” list I reckon, especially in a small place like Jersey!!
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Well if I were your employer I would sack you just for using social media during work…
The clue is in the title, work is work, social media is not work no wonder Jersey is in the mess its in. You work for seven hours a day and you do your socialising outside work.
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I have to agree paid work time is to be spent doing your job. If it is unpaid hours then this is different as this is your own time to do as you like with.
Socialising at work is often refered to as networking so as to try and justify doing it.
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My company has been muddling along nicely for around thirty years, the past ten of them have seen the rise of Facebook and other forms of social media – they simply allow us to use at certain times during the day when we’re on lunch, a good boss can tell if you’re putting in your seven hours a day!
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And there you have the nub of the problem in Jersey. It is not what is said that is killing this Island it is the silence of the majority. Everyone lives in fear of voicing their opinions.
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Renagade, so being critical is a sackable offence. Are we in a developed society or third world, Don’t answer that!
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Ever heard of Libel??
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I’m all for freedom of expression Gino but come on, you can’t work for someone then publicly condemn them, you need to decide which way your bread is buttered surely? I really don’t have any sympathy for that girl who was sacked a couple of years back, it’s not like it was just a case of arguing with a friend.
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I’ve heard of a few cases in the UK, where someone has lost their job over comments made through social media
I had to apologise to someone myself after ill advised comments on Twitter. My advice to everyone, is don’t use social media when under the influence of alcohol!
I’ve recently noticed Mark McQuillan and Jess Dunsdon have become regular tweeters. I’d be interested to know what guidelines Channel TV have laid down, on what they can or can’t say. They are supposed to impartial presenters, but I’m sure Mark & Jess have personal opinions on Jersey life, or individual States members that would land them in hot water if they vented their disapproval on Twitter.
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Corporate Fascism is alive and well in Jersey. It’s just as well we’re allowed to use pseudonyms on this site (at least for now).
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