Social Media And The Workplace

Social media has transformed almost every aspect of daily life; employment relationships are no exception. Employers have addressed these novel challenges by adopting codes of conduct governing the use of social media by employees.

In this context, illegitimate and abusive use of social media by employees, even outside the workplace, may entail disciplinary sanctions including dismissal for cause. A social media profile, even under restrictive privacy settings, is not really private, as Quebec courts noted on more than one occasion.

Two recent decisions provide insight into the many issues and challenges employers face with respect to employee use of social media.

Confirmed dismissal