Unfriending an employee is 'bullying', Fair Work rules
A ruling by the Fair Work Commission has found unfriending a colleague on Facebook constitutes workplace bullying.
The case arose from a disagreement within a Launceston real estate agency in which the owners unfriended one of their employees.
View Launceston real estate owners James and Lisa Bird had more than 20 run-ins with their employee Rachael Roberts.
Fed up with their worker, Mrs Bird decided to unfriend Ms Roberts on Facebook.
"This action by Mrs Bird evinces a lack of emotional maturity and is indicative of unreasonable behavior," the commission ruled.
The decision is expected to make employees reconsider their social media policies and how employers interact with employees online and outside of work hours.
Sydney University's Brad Ridout told 7News workers and bosses needed to remember online interactions are written in indelible ink that may haunt you later on.
"Things online can always be taken out of context and you never know how things may be used against you in the future," he said.
"The general rule is – you should never post anything you wouldn't be happy with your grandmother seeing."
Dr Ridout suggested bosses engage with their employees through LinkedIn, a more professionally focused social media service.
