There have been several cases in New Zealand regarding employees getting fired for conducting themselves online in a way that is detrimental to their business.
No less than a month ago, a woman employed by Wellington Free ambulance was fired after a spat with another colleague made its way onto Facebook.
Also in August, a NZ Post employee was also fired for criticizing his job, and humiliating a workmate on Facebook.
Even thought most of us have personal accounts on various different social media platforms, it doesn’t always mean that your comments will only be attributed to your personal opinion – but could be tied to that of your company.
It seems that people don’t know where to draw the line with personal and professional boundaries online, so I thought to further my last blog post about ethics and etiquette and pull the focus to a personnel level.
Fail-safe measures when it comes to online communication
- If you are discussing your company over the internet in any way, make it clear that the views expressed are your views, and are not necessarily that of the company in question. But this is also hazy – be smart about what you say and where you say it!
- Never comment on behalf of your organization (online or not) unless you are the designated spokesperson. There is a reason why most large businesses have a Communications team, or contract out to specialist agencies, and it’s because they know the media better than you do when it comes to fronting up.
- Furthering this, if you spot a potential issue for your company online, flag it for the right person to deal with. Often problems can be easily diffused if the team Communicators get in touch with who is causing the problem and discuss it.
- Everything you say online will be up there forever, so be clear, concise and if in any doubt, don’t say anything at all, or ask somebody who will be able to shed some light on any confusion you may have.
- Never share anything that is professionally confidential in any way – this includes sharing colleagues personal information and contact details, company issues, and records of conversations unless you have written permission.
In most cases where people find themselves suddenly out of work because of their online actions, it is because they let a little frustration and hot-headedness get the better of them! Take any issues you have straight to your employer directly, and avoid the whole situation all together!
Written by Jess Miller
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