Attitudes differ among employers on use of Facebook during working hours
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By Jussi Pullinen
Employers in Finland have differing approaches on how Facebook and other community online services should be used at workplaces.
Many employers encourage their employees to use the services as representatives of their company. Other companies have banned the use of Facebook.
The Finnish state is preparing a set of guidelines to encourage civil servants to operate on line with their own names.
Civil servants could take part in online discussions on the preparation of legislation on message boards or Facebook, says Sari Aalto-Matturi, an official at the Ministry of Justice.
Many companies also encourage their people to openly link up with online communities.
“There are many companies where it is seen as positive, because the company profile is such that the people come out with their own names”, says Kalevi Tiihonen, head of the corporate security office at the Confederation of Finnish Industry (EK).
This could lead to a situation in which the roles of work and free time in Finland are increasingly confused, says Janne Matikainen, who researches the social media at the University of Helsinki.
“It is a question of principle, whether or not we are at an employer’s service all the time.”
According to Aalto-Matturi, this kind of confusion of roles has come out as a problem in the preparation of guidelines. The borderline is already confused with many.
“For many, the networks overlap in such a way that it is hard to say if a person is my work contact or a private contact.”
Matikainen notes that for many, the mixing of roles poses no problem at all. She feels, nevertheless, that the work, and recreational profiles should be kept separate.
Aalto-Matturi also feels that the creation of a separate work profile can sometimes be a good idea.
The rules are not always clear for the employees, says Niina Koivuniemi, regional director at the Service Union United (PAM).
Sometimes employers can encourage employees to go on line, and others do so only with some of their subordinates. The state also does not want all civil servants to represent their employer on the Internet. Participants in online discussions are to be chosen separately in each unit.
Tiihonen of EK says that many companies are drawing up guidelines for the use of Facebook. The guidelines spell out what should be kept a secret.
EK does not specifically oppose criticising the employers while on line.
“One could ask if this is the most sensible way. But this does not mean that the employer should not be criticised.”
The Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE) has reported that a Facebook discussion was one of the reasons why one employee was sacked in Finland.
PAM also reports on situations in which an employer gave an oral warning about a Facebook discussion in which an employee took part while off duty. The discussion focussed on who might have taken food from the workplace coffee room without permission.
“It is not the employee’s place to take issue with something like this”, Koivuniemi says.
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 31.10.2009
JUSSI PULLINEN / Helsingin Sanomat
jussi.pullinen@hs.fi
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| 3.11.2009 - THIS WEEK |
 Attitudes differ among employers on use of Facebook during working hours |
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