Following on from our previous blogs regarding employees who were dismissed for comments made on social networking site Facebook (one of which was held to be fair, the other unfair) it has been widely publicised today that Argos has sacked an employee suffering from cancer after he complained about his job on the site.
David Rowat, a 56 year old father of three was sacked for alleged gross misconduct after moaning about work on the social networking site after returning from annual leave. His comments read “Had a great day back at work after my hols who am I kidding!!" and "Back to the shambles that is work." The post did not identify the store at which he worked.
Mr Rowat described his posts as "a little grumble" whilst a spokesperson for Argos said: "We take matters of this nature extremely seriously and have arrived at this course of action after an extensive internal investigation that involved multiple factors and events."
Mr Rowat is currently seeking legal advice.
This case is another example of why employees should think carefully before posting comments regarding their employment on social networking sites. Even if a dismissal is ultimately found to be unfair, Tribunal proceedings can be lengthy, costly and stressful. Simply taking the time to consider information shared with your social network will save you the agony in the long run.
Buddy also urges employers to put in place clear guidance and policies regarding use of social networking sites so the employees are aware what is and what is not acceptable. Buddy has a template Social media policy available to full members of the site and as a free download for free subscribers. For more detailed advice on use of social media at work, please contact the Employment Team at Clarkslegal.
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