Ill worker fired over Facebook

[Power Lunch Club]

This article appeared on the beeb.

BBC NEWS | Technology | 'Ill' worker fired over Facebook

The headline is a bit misleading...I suspect she was fired for using facebook, not over Facebook.

The woman claims that she accesses facebook with her iPhone...her bosses applied simple logic. If your well enough to use facebook with a migrane, you are well enough to work with a migrane.

Were they right or wrong to fire her? Were they on a sticky wicket, because anyone could have claimed that they were or were not using somone else computer at a given time.

 

[Gutsy]

I think maybe there's some unanswered questions - is she off work a lot, is she on FB all the time while at work...

As an aside, who approves people that you don't even know? Not quite sure what was meant by that "persona" thing.

 

[marbrowne]

I agree with Gaynor that there is more to this story than meets the eye. Who would link to a mysterious friend in the way that the lady is now claiming? Why would her employer be suspicious of her work if there was not something else behind this? This sounds like an everyday employment dispute which has pushed the Facebook button for the press to get excited about.

As I am selling a box which monitors usage of Facebook and other online activity I know that this particular problem could have been solved without the need to go for the publicity this dismissal has generated. I am just not selling it in Switzerland yet!

Martin
@prodsoft.co.uk

 

[Power Lunch Club]

I agree with Gaynor that there is more to this story than meets the eye. Who would link to a mysterious friend in the way that the lady is now claiming? Why would her employer be suspicious of her work if there was not something else behind this? This sounds like an everyday employment dispute which has pushed the Facebook button for the press to get excited about.

As I am selling a box which monitors usage of Facebook and other online activity I know that this particular problem could have been solved without the need to go for the publicity this dismissal has generated. I am just not selling it in Switzerland yet!

Martin
@prodsoft.co.uk

Thanks Martin,...also there is a great article about companies internet usage policy in this weeks Business 7....the article isn't on the website yet...but as soon as it is I'll link it here.

Note to the others....Martin has one of the most amazing network monitoring systems that I have ever seen.....most companies don't have a clue what there staff are up to on the internet or even how much they are downloading (or what they are downloading) during company time....this tool that Martin has give them good management information...you should see it.

 

[Employment Law Services]

There will definitely be other details surrounding this.............employers can't simply dismiss staff for allegedly surfing the internet whilst off sick unless they want to end up at the wrong end of an industrial tribunal claim.

Remember, the level of awards ITs can dish out have been increased now so falling foul of current employment laws (23 changes made to them this month alone) could prove to be extremely costly!!

In this specific case, there may be a history of absence and a record of disciplinary action surrounding it with this latest incident simply acting as the trigger point for a dismissal.

However, with the recent abolishment of the 3 stage disciplinary process and introduction of the ACAS code of conduct, and the rule governing hisotic disciplinary action for a particular incident if subsequent action is being taken post 6 April, the employer should've treaded very, very, carefully indeed!!

What do you think the true cost of staff absence actually is for employers........you may be very surprised!!