When Can Your Employer 'Unlike' You?: Just Cause for Dismissal and Social Media

AuthorDenis Ellickson and Meg Atkinson
Pages259-280

WhenCanYourEmployer
UnlikeYou
JUSTCAUSEFORDISMISSAL
ANDSOCIALMEDIA
DenisEllicksonandMegAtkinson*
Withinthepastdecadesocialmediahasdrasticallychangedtheways
inwhichpeoplerelateSocialmediaallowsuserstomakestatements
post photosa nds end messages that may be viewed bya w ideaudi-
enceforwardedtoawideraudienceandpermanentlyrecordedThere
aresocialnetworkingsitessuchasFacebookandLinkedInindividual
blogsitesmicrobloggingsiteslikeTwierlesharingsiteslikeFlickr
comchatsitessuchasGmailchatandMSNMessengersitesthatpermit
commentsfromthepublicandmorepeoplecanconnectandsharein
seeminglyinnitewaysMoreovertheincreasinguseofmobilehand
helddeviceswithInternetandsocialmediaimplementsallowsusersto
communicateinstantlyandonthespurofthemomentPeoplenowhave
anunprecendentedabilitytoconnectwithoneanothershareinforma-
tion and issue public statements about any range of things In many
waysweareallmoreconnectedthanweevenknowsomethingthat
canbeabigproblemforemployeeswhenforexampletheiremployers
unexpectedlyviewspostsonFacebookwhichcouldcompromisecon-
tinuedemployment
Thispaperwillexplainhowpostsmadebyemployeesodutybe-
comethesubjectofworkplacedisciplineUsingexamplesfromcaselaw
thepaperwillthendiscussthecontextsinwhichemployershavebeen
* DenisEllicksonisapartneratCaleyWrayandcurrentlychairoftheLabourand
EmploymentSectionoftheOntarioBarAssociationMegAtkinsonarticledat
CaleyWrayandwascalledtothebarin
DEMA
foundtohavejustlyterminatedordisciplinedemployeesforinappro-
priateusagesofsocialmediaincludingpoststhatareinsubordinateto
managersprejudicialorinjurioustotheemployersbusinessoperation
orinviolationofworkplacepoliciesThecaselawdealingwithdiscipline
asitconnectstosocialmediaalsorevealsthatdecisionmakerswillcon-
sideranumberofotherfactorssuchasthenatureoftheemployeesjob
thenumberofpeopleinandoutsidetheworkplacewhodidseeorcould
haveseenthepostthenumberofpostsandmore
Inadditiontoseingoutthesefactorsthispaperwillalsoanalyze
theextenttowhichthesocialmediaanddismissalcaselawdealswith
importantemployeerightssuchasfreespeechtherighttoprivacyand
the employees right to a fair consistent workplacein whic h progres-
sivedisciplineandappropriatewarningsareissuedtoemployeesWhile
thereisnodoubtthatintheageofsocialmediaemployeesmustbe
vigilanttopreventinappropriateinformationfromreachingthewrong
peoplethroughsocialmediathispaperwillarguethatemployersmust
alsobeawareoftheirdutiestoemployeesinusingsocialmediaasatool
for monitoring employeesand controll ing the workplacepart icularly
where such use leads to disciplinary i nterventions The use of social
mediashouldnotderogatefromanemployeesabilitytoleadafreepri-
vateindependentlifeoutsidework
As a preliminar y notemuch of the jur isprudence in the area of
dismissalandsocialmediacomesfromthelabourrelationscontextas
opposedtothecourtbasedemploymentcontextAlthoughthereareob-
viousdierencesbetweenthetwoforumsparticularlywithrespectto
thedecisionmakerspowertoorderremediesmanyoftheworkplace
considerationswillbequitesimilar
AOFFDUTYPOSTINGSONSOCIAL
MEDIASITES
Most of the problematic comments and postings made on social net-
working sites are made by peoplewhen t hey are o dutyGenerally
speaking when employees are o dutythey may carr y on their per-
sonallivesinprivacyandemployersarenotpermiedtoactascustod-
iansoftheiremployeescharacterHowevertherearecircumstancesin
 DonaldJMBrownDavidMBeayChristineDeaconCanadianLabourArbitra
tionlooseleafconsultedonMarchthedAuroraCanadaLawBook
atKamsackTownvCanadianUnionofPublicEmployeesLocal
ErhardtGrievanceLACthPelton

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