Don't blog your way into trouble PersonnelToday.com, UK
The case of the first UK worker to be dismissed because he criticised his employer in an online diary should be a wake-up call for organisations and their HR departments, lawyers have warned.
Joe Gordon, who had worked for 11 years at the Edinburgh branch of book retailer Waterstone's, was sacked earlier this month for “gross misconduct” and “bringing the company into disrepute” through the comments he posted on his weblog.
Gordon was what is known as a 'blogger'. He said he had offered to stop posting anything about his working life when the company called a disciplinary meeting.
According to his union, the Retail Books Association, Waterstone's rejected his plea, despite the fact that the company had no guidelines on whether employees are allowed to keep weblogs.