Technology & Social Media Unfriending work colleague on Facebook = Bullying

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-...-unfriending-on-facebook-can-bullying/6805484

I'm usually one to give organisations like the FWC the benefit of the doubt, but this one blew my mind. What a crazy world we live in when such a wide net is cast in the effort to stamp out workplace bullying. Reinforces my belief of not befriending anyone on Facebook I have an ongoing professional relationship with.

 

Despite the title of the article and your post, the article actually says the commission didn't find it to be bullying - it was the other stuff.

 

Yea, all sorts of weird stuff counts as bullying these days.

 

From the article... "Fair Work Commission deputy president Nicole Wells said in her decision that the unfriending was unreasonable behaviour and that Ms Roberts had been bullied at work."... sorry if I misunderstood, but i took that to include that the unfriending on facebook formed part of the ruling that the party had been bullied.

 

Yes but literally the next line in the article is:

"Josh Bornstein, from Maurice Blackburn lawyers, argues the Facebook unfriending is bullying but only because it happened in the context of several other incidents.

"The Fair Work Commission didn't find that unfriending someone on Facebook constitutes workplace bullying," he said."

 

If people are going to consider being unfriended on Facebook by workmates bullying the world is getting more sad and soft. Bullying is a punch in the face to dominate. A physical infliction of pain. Not "mental anguish" trying to work out why a workmate unfriended you. Sticks and stones.

 

I once had a government job with a complete f***wit manger who routinely used childish tactics to try and isolate and victimise members of staff - publicly stating that that's how you get the best results out of people. One of his favourite things was to refuse to talk to you (or even look at you if you were in the room) - the guy really had some serious issues. Having said that he was always really clever about what he did and never put incriminating things in writing etc.

 

Bornstein is rubbishing. No one owes anyone to be friends. Horrible statement.

 

{mods: removed reference to deleted posts}

On a related note a dear friend of mine rosie thomas founded an anti bullying organisation called project rockit, she's an amazing human being. Today she was named in the top 100 most influential women in australia by AFR which is some achievement especially considering shes only i think 30 and she and her sister started this organisation 9 years ago. She's one of those amazing souls who lights up any room she walks into

http://projectrockit.com.au/team/rosie-thomas

 

thanks Sanj, and for the link

{mods: removed reference to deleted post}


MTR

 

Facebook is such a waste of time, I can't believe people are still doing it.
It's like an addiction to check what the latest post it.

 

@Ouga - I checked Facebook last week. What a waste of virtual space.

Found what I needed (eventually), a link to another website.

 

Just don't Friend them in the first place. Then they won't be "bullied" when you Unfriend them. Simple. I unfriended a workmate, he asked me why, and I told him because he posted too much **** just for the sake of "Like fishing" that littered up my wall and prevented me from seeing posts from actual friends and family.

 

I like facebook as I have many family and friends that live overseas and it's a great way to keep in touch ... but my FB rules are "if we ran into each other in the street, and immediately went for coffee to catch up, then we friend" ... otherwise nope.

Unfriending = bullying ... sheesh ... get a life!

 

My brother in law worked high up in a management position in the mines. His boss's boss was a horrible sexist bully.

Systematically bullied and fired as many men in management as she could.

One of the workmates actually found a document the lady accidentally left on the photocopier after making copies (left the original). The document in black and white stated her plans to remove all the men from management and put in place women.

My brother in law ended up getting fired because he said his team was doing a good job as they were working 4 times above the targets set for them. That wasn't good enough... apparently.

She fired his male boss as well. And another couple of male managers too, replaced them all with women.

Oh well at least it's nice to know that some women can be as big a monsters as some men.

 

Did he keep the document??

 

Dont know. But my brother in law reckons its such a small industry at that level that if you make a lot of noise you get screwed.