Can you tell them to “blog off”?
Personal blogs allow people to tell their friends what they are doing 24/7. But there’s a fine line between a bit of online gossiping and serious breaches of an employer’s confidentiality. So can you tell your employees it’s time to blog off?
A bloggers world
Some individuals are private types who would never dream of going on to the Internet to tell the world about what they’re up to. But others want their friends to know what they’re doing every minute of the day. This fixation has fuelled the growing trend of personal blogs - a type of online diary where it’s up to the individual “blogger” to decide who sees the content.
Bit of a tweet
Although there are many other sites, one of the most popular is Twitter where members can actively “tweet” anything about themselves from what they are eating to where they are going on their next holiday. They can even have real-time conversations about it and post pictures of where they are at that particular moment in time.
Easy access. With advances in mobile phone technology they don’t even have to be sitting at a PC - it can all be disclosed “on the move”.
It’s my time to blog
By and large, what an employee gets up to in their own time is a matter for them. But there’s been a number of high profile cases where certain individuals have posted confidential information before their employer had decided to make it public knowledge.
A different world? One such example involved the footballer Darren Brent. He announced on Twitter that he was transferring from Tottenham Hotspur to Sunderland. But this was before the ink on the contract was dry, causing his new (and old) bosses to have a re-think.
Back to reality
This type of confidential disclosure could easily happen in your workplace. A new hire could post news of their success, or a resignation could be announced before you know about it. Personal information about another employee could also be posted. The pictures from the Christmas party may make an “interesting” addition to a blog, but some may prefer to forget the night altogether.
Can you ban them?
So can you stop the personal use of blogs totally? In short, no you can’t. A tribunal is likely to say that this amounts to an “unauthorised intrusion” into an employee’s private life. However, what you can do is draw a firm line in the sand and spell out what you won’t tolerate.
Tip 1. You must be seen to be striking a balance between protecting your own interests, e.g. reputation and confidential information, and allowing an employee freedom of expression.
Tip 2. The starting place is a robust e-mail and Internet use policy that specifically covers personal blogs (see The next step). Make it clear that an employee can’t publicly identify themselves as your employee or make any detrimental comments about your business.
Tip 3. It should also prohibit any references to other employees, e.g. photos or discussions, that could be viewed as harassment or bullying. State that any breach of your policy could lead to disciplinary action and/or dismissal.
For a free sample e-mail and Internet usage policy, visit http://personnel.indicator.co.uk(PS 12.05.06).
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