Employees’ postings on social media have been called “online water-cooler talk,” essentially comparing it to office gossip. But most HR professionals have had to learn one big difference the hard way. Water-cooler talk doesn’t leave a permanent record, and social media does. One way the two do compare is the common topic of supervisors. Unfortunately, employees usually aren’t wasting their breath or keystrokes going on about how great they think their supervisors are.
So what do you do when a supervisor comes to you upset about an employee’s post on a social media site? Employers Counsel Network attorney Peter Lowe addressed the problem at the annual Advanced Employment Issues Symposium. In the video below, Lowe explains what to do when a supervisor storms into the HR office, produces a printout of derogatory comments on a social media site, and cries “Have you seen this?!”
Peter Lowe is a partner with Brann & Isaacson in Lewiston, Maine, serving as lead labor counsel for some of the premier employers in Maine, including L.L. Bean, Inc. In this role, Peter advises clients on personnel practices and employee relations matters. He is the editor of Maine Employment Law Letter. He can be contacted at plowe@brannlaw.com