There have been some cases recently which looked at when an employee has been considered to be bullying ‘at work’. The context lies is the provisions of Fair Work Act and importantly it must be noted bullying includes what may occur on social media.
For example – bullying on social media can include:
(1) abusive comments posted on Facebook.
(2) Inappropriate photos of someone on Instagram.
Whilst those 2 examples are not surprising – Fair Work Commission (FWC) critically said it is still bullying. If there is a connection to work environment and even if the alleged bully engages in the bullying while not at work.
Also the bullying conduct is not limited to the point in time when the comments are first posted on social media – rather, the behaviour continues for as long as the comments remain on social media.
Summary: As each decision of the Fair Work Commission rules on this ever expanding area of social media and its implications on the workplace – it is important you workplace has a sound social media policy to demonstrate the right behaviours for your employees.
With HR Central the implications will be made clear to your employees before there is a chance of this behaviour to occur.