Tue, 8 Sep 2009
TUC advises employers to set ground rules for the use of
social networking portals.
Brendan Barber, general secretary of the TUC, has urged employers not to "overreact" to the use of social networking websites in the workplace.
With online portals such as Twitter and Facebook becoming increasingly popular among employees, Mr Barber warned that businesses could risk alienating their workforce by taking a hard line over the use of such sites.
He said that employers should consult their staff and establish some "ground rules on internet usage" so that "everyone knows what they can and can't do" in the office.
This policy would also prevent unscrupulous employers from using social networking sites as an excuse to fire workers during the recession, Mr Barber suggested.
"Staff need privacy at work irrespective of the recession," he said.
"There is a danger though that some employers may be less careful how they treat their staff if they are looking to reduce their workforce, which is why it's important that people know the ground rules."
Mr Barber made the comments in response to the case of Kimberley Swann, a 16-year-old office worker who recently lost her job at Essex-based company Ivell Marketing & Logistics after making negative comments about the role on Facebook.
According to a survey published by internet security firm Sophos in 2007, 43 per cent of employees said that their company blocked the use of Facebook in the office, while seven per cent had their access restricted.
"If workers are allowed to be given access to these sites then it's imperative that they are taught best practices to ensure that they are not putting their personal and corporate data at risk," commented Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos.
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The learndirect team