I note from one of the legal bulletins (and it was reported in The Sun so it must be true) that a former Argos employee has allegedly been dismissed for gross misconduct after setting up a networking group entitled “I work at Argos and can’t wait to leave because it’s sh**”



According to the newspaper report, the employee did regret his actions saying that he should have simply confided in a friend. The danger with social networking sites, from an employment perspective, is that they encourage staff to be dangerously open about goings-on in the office, and it is not uncommon to find social networking groups established around a workplace.

Although managers at Argos were understandably upset by the worker’s comments, at least they did not discover that confidential company information was plastered all over the internet.

With the increasing popularity of blogs and social networking sites this case may be a timely reminder to HR professionals to advise staff of the dangers of openly criticising their employer “out of school.”