Major issues that organisations should be aware of before attempting to dispense with an employees services on the basis of misuse of such a website Before taking action against an employee in regards to the misuse of the internet in relation to social networking sites it’s important that the organisations consider the ramifications of doing it, the employment laws ; the potential backlash from it all.
The organisation should be ready for the potential action from the employee including a tribunal, this said the organisation should make sure that they have gone down the correct channels as if not could be used against them.If an employee is really aggrieved then there is a possibility that the employee might want revenge for what’s happened, this could include them bad mouthing the organisation not only to people they know, but could also inform the press. Bad publicity could follow fro this which could have an effect on its reputation & potentially create a loss for the organisation. Previous aggrieved employees have gone onto create hate campaigns including picketing, websites & advertising against organisations. Through this it could mean the matter continues to drag on much longer than necessary.
The backlash from an ex employee could manifest to current staff & lead to a negative morale & culture; they could still be in touch with the employee & have an effect on their behaviour. There’s a possibility hat an employee who’s been suspected of logging onto one the sites but hasn’t actually done it themselves or some other reason a mistake might have occurred, this is why organisations need to put in place adequate investigation procedures to make sure that the correct individuals are punished ; that any innocent ones aren’t.This could have a backlash effect if they accuse an employee of wrongfully committing an offence; including grievance, legal action & lead to a negative image for the company. Ultimately the employer should act property in regards to the policy & make sure they are complying with all areas of legislation, As the social networking sites continue to grow this area will become more prominent so having the understanding & fitting a policy to tailor the culture of the organisation will give them balance & help to give the employees the understanding as to why they’ve been put in place.
