28 February, 2021

Social media: when personal beliefs clash with corporate values

Recent cases of controversial social media posts have focused attention on what happens when employees’ beliefs or opinions contradict their employers’ values. It’s the responsibility of the board to lead an offline discussion with staff about the boundaries of their personal and professional personas.

Image: Julia Tim/Shutterstock

By its very nature, social media blurs our professional and private selves. When we put a disclaimer in our Twitter bio stating “Views my own, and do not reflect those of my employer”, we may feel that is sufficient. Similarly, you often read “Retweets don’t imply endorsement or agreement”. Yet if you share the information, and if it is libellous or inaccurate, then you can be held accountable for its dissemination. This was borne out by a recent case in Australia. Israel Folau, the professional rugby player who holds the record for the most scores tried in Super Rugby history, was sacked by Rugby Australia after he published

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communications, corporate values, employee engagement, reputational risk, social media