Tweet at your peril

“Careless words cost jobs”, as increasing numbers of social media users in the UK are starting to discover. More than 40 million of the country’s 65 million population have Facebook accounts, more than 20 million use LinkedIn, and Twitter has more than 17 million UK users.

Global technology firm API Microelectronics discovered that Mrs Plant had linked her Facebook profile to the company, described her job as “general dogsbody”, and had posted a comment saying: “PMSL bloody place I need to hurry up and sue them PMSL”. The tribunal heard that PMSL was an acronym for “pissing myself laughing”.

The company’s social media policy made clear that derogatory posts about the company could lead to disciplinary action.

Despite having worked for the company for 17 years without being disciplined, Mrs Plant was dismissed after a hearing at which she said she had not appreciated that her Facebook profile linked her to the company. The employment tribunal were satisfied that dismissal was within the range of reasonable responses.

Plant v API Microelectronics Ltd 3401454/2016