HOW TO AVOID GETTING INTO TROUBLE WITH YOUR EMPLOYER ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Nine out of ten of us have a profile on social media, whether it’s on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or your own blog. It can be easy to forget that what you post on these sites can be read by other people – including your employer.

Sheffield Hallam’s social media policy states that “you should consider carefully before posting comments which could be linked to the University that could cause offence, or be viewed as contravening confidentiality”. It also warns employees not to be “inappropriately critical” of the University.

Here are some basic tips to help you avoid getting into trouble at work.

  • Make sure your privacy settings are as secure as you can make it. But bear in mind that one of your contacts could take a screengrab of what you have written, so it’s important to take care with what you say.
  • Be mindful of who you give access to.
  • Don’t make reference to the company that you work for.
  • Don’t post or allow others to post on your profile anything that could be taken as defamatory,  harassing, obscene, libellous or otherwise unlawful or offensive.
  • Don’t post anything that contains personal threats or insults relating to gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, ethnic, racial, religious or other protected characteristics under equality law.
  • Be careful about what pictures and videos you allow to be posted of you.