Beware BT’s social media policy…

BT November 15 2018

Efforts to open a meaningful dialogue with BT over the application of a social media policy that was branded ‘draconian and controlling’ by CWU Annual Conference have been largely rebuffed by the company.

Despite agreeing to CWU demands for confirmation that employees would not face disciplinary action for bringing the company into disrepute on the basis of abusive third party social media posts, BT has refused to be drawn into a discussion on its policy of pursuing employees for derogatory comments about the company made online – even when those comments are made on personal social media accounts.

“Examples of where the company has applied the disciplinary procedure include where people have made derogatory remarks about other employees or the company itself – and, critically, BT has refused to accept there are such things as ‘closed groups’,” explains assistant secretary Dave Jukes.

“So, if comments or content that are placed on a closed group are reported to the company by a third party, and that posting is deemed by the company to have caused reputational damage, BT has reserved its right to take disciplinary action – even when those comments have been made out of work on a personal social media account.”

In April, delegates at CWU Annual Conference had questioned whether BT’s stance was compliant with the central tenets of the Human Right’s Act which gives the ‘right to respect for private and family life, home and correspondence’.

The issue was subsequently raised nationally with the company, with the union pointing out there are strict legal restrictions on how any company may acquire and use any such information.

BT has insisted, however, that its social media monitoring activities are fully legally compliant – and, in relation to the small number of disciplinary cases involving comments made in ‘closed user groups’, the offending comments had been reported to the company by aggrieved colleagues.

Dave Jukes concludes: “Although I share CWU Annual Conference’s disquiet about BT’s application if its social media policy, it would appear that at this point in time there’s little we can do about it because the law says they can.

“Crucially, even ACAS advises that employers are entitled to expect employees to use social media ‘appropriately’ both inside and outside of work – and, as such, I think we’ve taken this as far as we can at this particular point in time.

“Should any further cases arise where branches or individuals believe BT has overstepped the mark, however, I’d be grateful if they could be forwarded to me without delay.

“As a rule of thumb, however, the best advice I can give members is that they need to be aware that the company is watching out for social media postings it believes could cause reputational damage, and that the safest course of action is simply not to make them.”