The downside of being too social on social media

When Rachel Burns posted a photo of a singalong at work on her Facebook page, she had no idea that her actions would end her career. The BBC’s Laurence Grissell has been following her story for the past year.

Facebook is now such an everyday part of most peoples lives, and this case highlights how careful every one now needs to be in complying with social media policies at work. A moment without thinking can sometimes have serious consequences. It is probably right that what she did wasn’t something that warranted dismissal, but was something that would have warranted at least some form of formal warning (which if the offence was repeated may have led to dismissal).

Nearly all employers have social media policies nowadays, and most policies will state that a breach can lead to some form of disciplinary proceedings, so you should read your firm’s social media policy carefully. As well as being careful as to what is posted, people should also be careful as to who they are “friends” with on social media. Getting on with your line manager at work is one thing, giving that person access to your Facebook postings (which will include a lot of personal information that could be used against you, even if the reaction is unjust as in this case) is something else

See the original article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/stories-41851771