The Dangers of Facebook in the Workplace
It amazes me how many employees do not realize that it is simply not acceptable to trash talk their supervisors, co-workers, or employers on Facebook, MySpace, or any other social networking site. Many would never consider writing such statements on a placard and walking around with it like a picketer yet they don't think twice about writing derogatory and sometimes outright defamatory statements on-line.
"Employees need to understand that discriminatory or harassing blog or web entries that they make regarding co-workers may well be considered in the same vein as if they actually made those comments verbally in the workplace," wrote Donna Seale in her blog, Human Rights in the Workplace. She added that "employers need to understand that just as they can be found vicariously liable for failing to take reasonable steps to stop harassing verbal comments in the workplace, so too they can potentially be found liable for failing to put a stop to similar types of comments that are occurring on sites like Facebook if they knew or ought to have known they were being made."
So what should employers do to protect themselves? Seale recommends a three-fold approach:
- Create a workplace policy that addresses the appropriate use of technology such as the Internet;
- Thoroughly educate employees on the policy and the consequences of violating it; and
- Be vigilant about enforcing the policy.
Sound advice. Employers...are you listening to them?
Thanks, Steven, for passing along to your readers the advice I posted on my blog regarding this topic. Because of the proliferation of social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook, I anticipate that we will be seeing more and more complaints and/or legal cases involving issues of harassment in the workplace via these media. Hopefully, employees and employers will heed these kinds of warnings so as to limit, if not prevent, this kind of inappropriate workplace-related behaviour. All the best!
Donna Seale
It's become hard to separate your work persona and your personal persona. Having a closed knit conversation is one thing but letting the world see you air out your dirty laundry is just not excusable. Hopefully companies and corporation will being to put into place measures that will prevent firings and suspensions form happening, as evident by your next post. The responsibility ultimately lies with the person who wrote or posted the things in question while the employer can provide the guidelines.