Social networking sites

Social networking sites are becoming increasingly popular and, at the same time, some of the material being posted is becoming contentious.

Perhaps it’s worthwhile considering how posting on social networking sites by your staff can create potential problems for you.

For example, if your nanny or housekeeper posts details of her or his personal life, it is likely not to have any impact on you.  However, if they add information about their working life, possibly revealing details which may be “useful” to a third party that would indeed be another matter.

So how do you monitor this?

You could, for example, include in their contract of employment that no such details are to be included; but what if you do so and then such details are still posted?  Do you then have a case for breach of contract and dismissal?

How can you keep a check on this?  One simple answer is to register yourself on the social networking site, and go to their page and see for yourself.  Is this potentially an intrusion into privacy?  Probably not as the information is in the public arena, but as always it’s best to take professional advice.  Of course, you can always just ask if you can see their posting and judge your own response by their response to your request.

Isn’t it interesting how new facilities continually pose new problems?