What's going on down the farm?

Social networking sites seem to be multiplying faster than the H1N1 virus! Whether you are a facebooker or you love to tweet there are a million and one ways to waste time online. Any employer knows that social networking and online gaming can pose a serious threat to productivity in the workplace. Just today in the news, a Bulgarian official has been sacked after being caught milking a virtual cow on the hugely popular online farming game, FarmVille. Whatever next?! One thing’s for sure, small business owner’s need to get smart and make sure they have a clear IT policy which outlines internet use in the workplace. After all, in a couple of month’s ‘World Cup Fever’ will be upon us and with it, another reason to be checking online updates or even, dare I say it, watching matches online while at desks! Don’t say we didn’t warn you …

Dismissed by Facebook?

Thanks to Richard Lowe, The HR Dept West London, for this interesting snippet.

I picked up an interesting idea of management from the daily paper yesterday.

A manager dismissed a coffee shop worker due to a shortage in the till. However the big problem with this is that the manager dismissed the worker by a ‘facebook message’ not the best way to get your marching orders.

Aside from the obvious ‘not following a standard procedure’ there may well be a claim for ‘emotional distress’. If this is taken on face value then it could cost the company up to £60,000 just for the unfair dismissal!

So if your clients would like to ‘wake up and smell the coffee’ rather than the aroma of an employment tribunal chamber, seek advice about the right way to conduct dismissals.

Great Expectations!

Read what Jennie Horchover, The HR Dept Ruislip & Harrow, has to say about employees sacked for failing to meet expectations ...

http://lawdonutblog.co.uk/2010/03/17/sacked-for-failing-to-meet-expectations/