Pub Owners and Workers Beware; Protecting Your Business from Anti-Social Media

Employers may be aware of a recent case in which an Employment Tribunal found that JD Wetherspoons plc had fairly dismissed a pub manager for gross misconduct when she made damaging comments about customers on Facebook. Ms Preece was subjected to abusive behaviour by the customers, whom she asked to leave.

She was then subjected to 3 abusive phonecalls, apparently from the customers' daughter, using very insulting language. Having dealt with these situations professionally, Ms Preece began to complain and swear about the customers by name on Facebook while she was working, although she did not mention the name of her employers or the pub.

In an age where many younger (and indeed not so young) employees stay in constant contact with friends through social media, what can or should employers be doing to avoid damage to reputation and disciplinary issues concerning ill-chosen online quips?

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