By Sonja Vorster

Are employees not entitled to their personal views and freedom of speech? No simple yes or no answer can determine this. As Facebook and other social media sites have developed over the years, I have chaired many disciplinary hearings and my findings have varied.

I also use Facebook for my personal use, which I share with my friends and family. Is it private?

I may think it is private but I share it with my ‘Facebook friends’. They ‘like’ posts, and my private moment is not so private anymore.
You, as an employee, are by association with your employer inadvertently linked to the image of that company.

I can try and argue that my statements are private and my personal viewpoints, but, if you make controversial statements, the question would be if it will not inadvertently affect the company or the customers that use the companies services I work for. There simply cannot be a clear line between your personal and professional thoughts. There is in today’s social media world no such thing as ‘private’ on social media. What you say is public, it is in writing and it is there for everyone to see.

“Think before you post and think before you speak!”

There can be many serious consequences to your posts on social media. Recently court findings on a social media post made a verdict that the guilty party had to pay a fine of R150 000 and resulted in the individual being labelled worldwide as a racist. I have seen the shock and disbelief on employee’s faces when they realise that the posts via social media or emails have become public.

Social media is here to stay; as an employer you cannot prevent your employees from using it, but you can provide them with guidelines and contractual rules and regulations. It is important for employers to have proper social media policies in place and to provide training to ensure that everyone, including management, understands the risks and consequences of posting on social media.