Update

The Risks of Social Networking in the Workplace

Social networking has been creating a legal storm – a storm that has been brewing for some time, but which is now starting to gather momentum. Social media has become an entrenched part of our personal and professional networking, but it brings with it risks created by the misuse of those platforms and risks attached to the ownership of those platforms. As the traditional constructs of employment law struggle to fit the square peg of social networking into the round hole constructs of statutory and common law, and as the line between what is "in the course of employment" becomes increasingly blurred, so the uncertainty increases for employers who are forced to navigate an increasingly grey area of accountability, responsibility and liability. This article intends to identify some of the issues arising and proposes means by which to mitigate those risks.