Have you got into trouble at work because of social media posts you wrote about the Queen? 
Some employees have already contacted us because they’re in that exact situation.
If you need advice, please give us a call. We are employment lawyers who act for employees anywhere in the The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Putting it into context
Obviously, people are different and feel differently about things.
Some are shocked and grieving about the loss of the only monarch most of us have ever known. Nationwide (and worldwide), people are glued to the TV, travelling to lay flowers, and signing books of remembrance. They might post heartfelt images on their social media feeds, write updates about their sorrow, or add comments to other posts.
Some think the resultant protocol, pomp and pageantry is pointless. They post about how ridiculous it all is. They object to compulsory mourning, the change in TV scheduling and the cancellation of sporting events. They might even add comments in direct contrast to those who are upset.
Some are fervently anti-royalist and are taking it as an opportunity to say so.
People’s differences of opinion make life interesting. But you need to be careful what you publish online.
Sharing your opinions on social media
Your employer might well have a social media policy which forms part of your employment contract. Check your staff handbook or other employment documentation to find out what it says.
If you’ve written something that makes a colleague feel uncomfortable, and they complained about it, you might find yourself facing disciplinary action. Your employer might give you a verbal or written warning, for example.
If you’ve posted negative comments about your employer, clients, suppliers or colleagues, it could result in a charge of gross misconduct and lead to you being dismissed instantly (without notice). That could happen if what you’ve written damages their reputation or destroys the working relationship between you and them.
Note that problems don’t only arise due to original content that you post online. You also need to be careful about sharing material that other people might find offensive.
Also watch out for accessing the internet for personal use and/or posting during working hours, as the policy may not allow that.
What does the law say?
There are laws against:
- Cyber-bullying
- Trolling
- Defamation of character
- Invasion of privacy
If you do any of these things, criminal action could be taken against you – this can be extremely serious and you want to avoid it.
What this means to you
Check your company’s social media policy and be careful about what you post online. In short:
If it’s potentially offensive, don’t post it!
If in doubt, don’t post it!
Note that there is a way to access all posts you’ve ever written, even if you deleted them immediately afterwards. So you can’t be too careful.
Rather than writing whatever you want, whenever you want, wherever you want – even on your personal social media feeds – use the ‘commonsense’ button (in your brain) and don’t publish anything at all that might be risky.
Related reading
For more information, please see our related articles:
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