I think that the brilliant infographic from Nominet, Manners Matter, is actually portraying information which is far wider than having good manners online. There have been some horrific stories in the press just recently about online bullying, which has put a spotlight on whether or not our children are being adequately educated about online behaviour. This infographic is an excellent starting point for raising everyone’s awareness of the subject.

I wrote in a previous article that we teach children to cross the road, rather than tell them not to cross the road because it’s dangerous, and the same applies to online behaviour. The majority of people can now access the internet so everyone, without exception, should be knowledgeable about the consequences of their actions when socialising, playing and working online.

Education shouldn’t be restricted to online safety, as our young people need to know about the implications of their actions online when it comes to getting employment and keeping a job. The infographic tells us that 40% of employers admit to checking candidates social media profiles when deciding who to employ. It would also be interesting to know how many people lose their jobs over their inappropriate conduct online, as over the last few years there have been quite a number reported in the media.

The recent past has shown us that where the law and the world of social media have crossed it is not always straight forward or clear when an employer can dismiss a member of staff. However, there have been enough cases for it to warrant us raising the awareness of the possible implications, not only to new members of the work force, but to everyone. In very general terms the reasons that are usually quoted for employee dismissal are things such as their comments have reflected disloyalty or defiance to the employer, damaged the employer’s reputation or are a violation of a workplace policy, e.g. an equality and diversity policy.

Vocational Innovation Ltd has developed an online course, Social Media Responsibilities in the Workplace, which can be downloaded or completed online. Details can be found at: http://www.elearningmarketplace.co.uk/shop/social-media-responsibilities-in-the-workplace-copy/