The Dangers of Social Media at Work

So, you’ve found your dream job. You look the part. You’ve done lots of interview preparation and dazzled the panel with your personality and business acumen. So why didn’t you get the job?

Have you ever thought that your boozy Facebook pictures and tweets criticising your current boss may have had a part to play?

In this new digital era, employers have so many more resources available to them when trying to find a new recruit. 

Not only do they have professional sites like LinkedIn, they also have Facebook, Twitter, Periscope, Instagram… The list is endless.

As more and more of us post more about our private lives on social media these days, we leave ourselves more vulnerable to judgement from those who don’t know us. You probably know not to post things online that could bite you later, but many of us do it all the time anyway – often without even realising it.

Whether it’s a friend tagging you in a photo, or admitting you torrent your songs in a Facebook status, even seemingly innocent posts or photos can get you in trouble at work, or even land you in legal hot water. Depending on how attractive a target you are, one day that photo could be used to deny you a job, or ruin a relationship.

And for those of us in employment, make sure when you throw a sickie you’re not caught posting pictures of yourself at the pub on social media. It makes sense to speak with special care on the internet. You never know when whatever you say can and will be used against you.

Our infographic below highlights some of the worst cases of employees being caught out on social media… Do you know any others? We’d love to hear them, tweet us at @LabrumsStAlbans and we’ll retweet out favourites.