Get The Answers: Employee blogging can damage brand and reputation

Craig Mundy-Smith. Photo / Supplied

People have duties of fidelity and loyalty to employers, writes Craig Mundy-Smith, senior associate at Bartlett Law.

The rise of the internet and social media has given people the power to express their viewpoints to a mass audience, but sometimes this power can be abused by employees whose online activities damage their employer's business brand and reputation?

What happens in a situation where an employer discovers a blog written by a disgruntled member of staff who makes destructive or damaging comments about the employer and their business? Is the employer powerless?

Most employees think that outside work hours, they can do as they wish, thinking that the relative anonymity of an internet blog site means they can vent their frustrations with impunity. They are wrong.

Employees have underlying duties of fidelity and loyalty to their employer, and these duties are not suspended just because the employee has gone home for the day.

Employees must not engage in activities which bring their employer into disrepute at any time.

An employee who openly ridicules or disparages their employer in a blog runs the risk of being dismissed for breaching these obligations.

What about freedom of speech? Don't the employees have a right to express themselves?

Freedom of expression is a right, but this doesn't shield employees from the fallout arising from their comments.

How can an employer have trust and confidence in someone who denigrates their workplace in an open and public forum? Loyalty is central to the good faith relationship between employer and employee.

If employees misuse their right of expression they must also suffer the consequences of breaching their obligations to their employer.

What is the process that is followed?

Ideally, your business will have an "Internet and Social Media policy" which will define whether the conduct involves a breach of obligations, outline the potential sanctions and specify the processes for investigation and possible disciplinary action.

Without an internet and social media policy, it is less straightforward as much of the law relating to the internet and social media is "old law" applied in a new setting.

Your existing disciplinary and investigatory processes will still be applicable, but there is a risk that some activities may fall through the cracks because your outdated policies never contemplated them, for example, re-tweeting links.

What about more ambiguous offences such as uploading footage of an embarrassing ukulele solo at the staff Christmas party to YouTube?

Does the footage really bring the business into disrepute or is it simply that your ego is bruised?

Sometimes showing you have a sense of humour can help to humanise your brand.

YouTube is full of clips of people doing embarrassing things that have gone viral and generated positive media attention and sales.

Make sure you keep matters in proportion - not every offence is a hanging offence.

What steps can the employer take to regulate employee use of the internet out of working hours?

* Make sure your internet and social media policy is kept up to date. If you don't have one, think about introducing one.

* Pay attention to what people are saying about your business on the internet. It is well worthwhile making the occasional Google or Twitter search.

* If investigating an offence, make sure you obtain hard, printed copies of any web pages. On the internet, material can be very easily removed or altered.

* Don't sweat the small stuff. You may be the next viral sensation.

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