Wednesday 12.11.2008

LEADING EMPLOYMENT LAWYER WARNS OF THE PERILS OF SOCIAL NETWORKING

A leading Yorkshire employment lawyer is warning both employers and employees of the hidden perils of social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace.

Following the recent news that 13 Virgin Atlantic crew members have been sacked over their inappropriate use of Facebook, Diarmuid Deeney of Halliwells in Sheffield is urging others not to fall into the same trap.

He said; "Users of Facebook and other social networking sites must remember that everything they do and say is on display for all of their friends, family and work colleagues to see.

"In this instance the dismissed crew members showed spectacular disregard for their employer and, perhaps more importantly, its customers and this is clearly unacceptable."

The case also brings to light the need for employers to have strict guidelines in place to ensure this sort of thing doesn’t happen to them.

"Whilst it is not uncommon for companies to have internet policies it is less likely that these policies will extend outside working hours” said Diarmuid. "Employers need to make it absolutely clear what is and is not acceptable and employees have to realise that they are ambassadors for the organisations they work for even when they are not actually at work."

With social networking sites continuing to grow in popularity across the world, employees must consider the consequences of their disparaging remarks if the tide of Facebook-sackings is to be abated

About Halliwells

Halliwells is one of the UK's leading multi-disciplinary law firms with over 1000 people and offices in Manchester, Liverpool, London and Sheffield