In this week’s Workplace Bulletin:

  • Facebook: Your Friend, or Foe?
  • Quick Tip of the Week: How to implement a social networking website usage policy
  • Workplace Helpdesk Q and A: When can employees use their personal leave?
  • Workplace Wackies: Out of the Loop

Dear Reader,

If you haven’t already considered this question, you no doubt will soon. Should you allow access to social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace in your workplace?

On the one hand, it could potentially cost you dearly in terms of employee productivity. But, on the other, it can be an invaluable networking and e-recruitment tool. So what should you do?

Weigh up the pros and cons and consider what will work best for your business. But make sure you are aware of the legal risks that come with allowing Facebook access in your workplace. For example, you could be held vicariously liable for any bullying, harassment, or discriminatory conduct committed by an employee online. Also, there is a greater potential that confidential information about your business could be leaked online or become vulnerable to hackers.

Quick Tip of the Week: If you decide to allow your employees access to social networking sites, implement a policy regarding their use at your workplace. The policy should clearly spell out relevant examples of confidential information and outline what is acceptable and what is not when it comes to using social networking sites. You should also outline the consequences of breaching the policy. In doing this, you can be sure that your employees will be fully aware of their obligations and the risks posed to your business when they use sites such as Facebook and MySpace.

Workplace Helpdesk: When can employees use their personal leave?
Answered by Charles Power, editor-in-chief, Employment Law Practical Handbook.

Q: When exactly are employees entitled to use their personal leave? For example, are they entitled to personal leave when:

  • They go for a medical check-up?
  • They go for a regular doctor’s appointment?
  • They go for a dental check-up?
  • They undergo an elective surgery?

A: An employee is only entitled to take paid sick leave when they are unfit for work because of a personal illness or injury. Obviously this would apply when someone is recovering from an operation. It would also apply if the employee is consulting a doctor or having a medical procedure during a period of illness or injury. If an employee is not unfit to work, then personal leave is not available.

However, if your organisation has afforded flexibility to employees on this issue in the past, it might be problematic to treat someone differently because they have an impairment that does not render them incapable of work but necessitates frequent doctor’s visits. This less favourable treatment might amount to unlawful discrimination. You would need to implement the change in policy or practice on a universal basis, but show a willingness to be flexible in exceptional cases.

Have you got a short employment law question? Can’t find the answer in your handbook?
Just e-mail your query to helpdesk@workplacehandbook.com.au

Workplace Wackies: Out of the Loop

A harried passenger called his travel agent from the airport with an urgent question. “How do I know which plane to get on?” The agent asked exactly what he meant, and the man replied, “I was told my flight number is 823, but none of these darn planes have numbers on them.”

Source: Idiots at Work

Until next time…

Claire Berry
Editor

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