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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

As a line manager can I demand to see someone's Facebook pages?

277 replies

MaryMotherOfCheeses · 21/02/2009 19:31

Because someone who works with me took three days off recently due to "a stomach bug".

I've been told her Facebook pages say she went away for a few days and got pissed with her friends.

Assuming she doesn't own up when I confront her, can I insist on seeing her Facebook pages? If there's no such stuff on there, why would she hide it?

What do you think?

OP posts:
StealthPolarBear · 22/02/2009 21:03

minx, sorry to hear that. But you must see that on the face of it, this is a very different situaton!
Have you never worked with anyone who has played the system a bit?

Ellora · 22/02/2009 21:03

Data Protection ensures her privacy, what do you mean insist? You cannot actually even request to see it or even use the information if you did as invasion of privacy. But you could try to have an honest conversation instead with her and say you heard e.t.c

kalo12 · 22/02/2009 21:05

no, you wouldn't check her phone would you?

FB is for children.

StealthPolarBear · 22/02/2009 21:07

Data Protections covers things written on a public site?
Why can't she ask to see it?

drlove8 · 22/02/2009 21:08

marymotherofcheeses ..... WTF? when did you turn into a little hitler?.YABU

PersephoneSnape · 22/02/2009 21:13

what is she like when she is in work? is she good at her job? does she fully contribute to your organisations aims etc?

I'm a bit torn on this. if OP does nothing, thenit's condoning mis-useof tax payers £. her member of staff thinks she's got one over and other people, who know that she's taking the piss will either be encourage dto do the same, or will store up resentmnet towards piss-taking staff member and OP.

I think that a few people have posted that Op should have a chat with staff member along the lines of ' I've heard this, is it true? ' I agree with that.

I'm a public servant myself. I'm very serious about that and think that public service can be bloody rotten at the best of times - stress can make people very very ill and there are some horrible bullying jobsworths who can make your life at work hellish. if you're sick, then you're sick. if you're gingon a bender that is taking the piss. I don't think Op is a bully. I think she is conscientious.

Janos · 22/02/2009 21:14

Sorry but if you post something on a public site..surely it's not private?

I have a friend who was bought to task at work about comments she made on a blog. So for those who think it's private..unfortunately, you're wrong. Whether it's morally correct or not isn't the issue - it can and does happen.

wotulookinat · 22/02/2009 21:15

I don't think you can ask to see it. Unless you send her a friend request...

minxofmancunia · 22/02/2009 21:15

yes I have stealth, i was his team leader but tbh he'd been treated appallingly at work too and rather than do what I did which was struggle on he strategically took sick leave and left me to carry the can a lot of the time as the only qualified nurse on duty with 10 very dangerous young men and several staff to keep safe.

It was frustrating but I could see his point, iykwim, we were treated like s**t on a regular basis by more senior management who thought it was acceptable to leave us holding the keys with no back up day in day out relentlessly.

Unlike me he wasn't scared of them, (the managers) and yes he took the piss, he was allegedly spotted in local watering holes when on sick leave but I never hounded him about it. I wouldn't respond to gossip and rumour spreading my malicious members of staff who wanted to back stab.

I'm no longer frightened of managers and if I do have a bad cold, sinusitis etc. I go off sick rather than struggle in like some people do, you get no thanks for it and there's no point being a martyr.

StealthPolarBear · 22/02/2009 21:15

Just imagine if the DPA did cover public sites - we could all say exactly what we wanted and then deny it ever happened and no-one would be allowed to look at the web page to confirm it! gina ford!
There! Said it!

Janos · 22/02/2009 21:17

Also, agree with PersephoneSnape. Good post (another public servant here). OP doesn't come across as a bully to me either.

I wouldn't dream of taking time off for a bender..and if I did then I CERTAINLY wouldn't be stupid enough to boast about it to ANYONE.

StealthPolarBear · 22/02/2009 21:19

oh bad time for an x post sorry.

We have been told to be very careful about return to work interviews, and the first step of the disciplinary is for both employer and employee to benefit. If the sick leave is because of stress, then it may appear on the surface that the person is take sick leave when they're not sick but they may just not be able to face work. However I think this seems very calculated- presumably she planned, paid for and packed for this trpi in advance, and she then seemed to think she'd got one over her boss. IMO that's different.
Agree about people dragging themselves in when they're sick, I do it, mainly because I usually feel fine i a morning and get worse as the day goes on, but it's not a good thing.

StealthPolarBear · 22/02/2009 21:19

Sorry, should clarigy, when I talk about martyring myself and dragging myself from my sick bed to work...I am lucky enough to be talking about the odd bad cold, nothing more

StealthPolarBear · 22/02/2009 21:20

clarify, bedtime I think, did I mention I'm ill? Man-flu

Janos · 22/02/2009 21:20

I'm not a Facebook expert to be honest so don't know whether she could see it or not.

I would think a comment along the lines of 'I've heard some rumours and am concerned in case there are any problems, anything you;d like to talk about' (badly phrased but best I can think of on the spot) might be a good idea. Then, if she's got any sense she'll be be aware you're on to her and smarten her act up.

mumeeee · 22/02/2009 21:45

YABU. You can't demand to see someoes Facebook pages.

Judy1234 · 23/02/2009 09:33

Well you solve all these problems if you ensure public sector or any contracts only pay SSP - so that is no pay at all for three days and then the statutory rates from day 3 with the required notes and also remember you can sack people who are off sick too much leglaly but always take legal advice. You certainly can engage in surveillance as someone said above. Videoing those off sick on their jog to the gym etc is all perfectly legal but it's best to take legal advice.

Facebook is not pubilc in the sense that only friends can access the page but if someone tells you what they have seen on it you can mentino that to the individual. If people are thick enough to post information like that on facecbook I am not sure I want to be working so hard via my taxes to pay for their wages in the public sector and they deserve whatever happens to them.

jumpingbeans · 23/02/2009 09:36

Bloody hell, glad i don't work with you.

Janos · 23/02/2009 09:49

Why are folk still jumping on the OPs back like she's Big Brother personified?

All she's done is come on and asked for a bit of advice, she's not planning on have the woman chip and pinned, FGS.

minxofmancunia · 23/02/2009 09:50

For Gods sake what if someone has a bereavement, a miscarriage, a broken bone??! All of these have happened o me in the last 2 years, I took more than 3 days off for each, does that make me a shirker of some description? I've paid taxes all my working life and ni contributions too you know but never had any bonuses, extra, perks or whatever.

This no pay for sick leave argument is a load of b**ox

Janos · 23/02/2009 09:58

I agree with you there minx but unfortunately a lot of companies can and do give sick pay at their own discretion.

Judy1234 · 23/02/2009 11:00

You might not like it but it's perfectly lawful to offer no sick pay for the first three days and then just SSP. The featherbedding we offer the public sector probably won't survive a 10 year depression and huge reduction in the tax take but we'll see. Shirkers may be in their very last glory days now....

rookiemater · 23/02/2009 11:13

I believe as a responsible society it is right and proper that employers offer sick leave.

I was recently off for an operation. I took the minimum recommended by the consultant and probably returned too early.

I'm in the lucky position of being part of a two income household but if I was a single parent I think it would be somewhat unfair for my DS to starve because I was genuinely ill. However because of this I have no empathy for this bizarre notion of having sick days as some sort of employee rights, and would take a very dim view of that sort of thing in my team.

Many people have opted out of the typical employer/employee situation by becoming contractors like my DH. If he is sick he doesn't get paid a bean, hasn't had a sick day in 2 years, mind you I think before then even when employed he had 1 day off in 3 years.

Some people have a work ethic. Others don't. We are very lucky to live in a part of the world where children aren't dying of malnutrition or lack of basics such as clean running water.In a recession people should value their jobs, the fact that some don't is worrying.

StealthPolarBear · 23/02/2009 12:37

Janos - I have just nominated (I think) your chip and pin comment for quote of the week

Longtalljosie · 23/02/2009 12:53

Speak to HR. Not so much about the Facebook pages (I don't think you have any more right to see them than you do messages from her personal email address) but if other members if staff are FB friends and effectively whistleblowing, you do have prima facie evidence she's skiving. HR will be able to advise you what routes, as a manager, are open to you. And as it is quite sensitive you want to ensure you're doing it by the book, if only to ensure if she does kick up about it, you have company backing.