SIA crew members warned over Facebook use

[Ikman Ikreza 0]

Several Singapore Airlines (SIA) cabin crew members have landed in hot soup after posting ”inappropriate” work-related messages on their personal Facebook accounts.

 

According to The Straits Times, SIA have served warning letters to those who have been caught sharing information such as details of duty roster, their allowances and grievances with customers on board the planes.

 

It also include posting messages on their unhappiness with peers and superiors. One crew member even talked about his or her experience assisting at a friend’s shop.

 

On one Facebook account checked by AFP, a woman calling herself an SIA flight attendant said she was “going to be upset” if she was called up for “lousy” flights to Sydney, Melbourne and Hong Kong on Airbus A380 super-jumbos.

 

“No fair… roster no good again… no fair,” said another account.

 

“So many flights.. So little Off Days.. I’m going crazy…” a third Facebook user remarked.

 

Although SIA did not implement a total Facebook ban, a spokesman confirmed that action has been taken against those caught for “inappropriate usage of social media.”

 

She said, “We do not have a policy which prohibits staff from participating in social media… But our policy is clear that they must not comment on work matters about business or customers.”

 

“This is to protect proprietary information as well as the privacy of other staff and our customers”, she added.

 

Many other companies, including government ministries, have guidelines in place on the use of social media.

 

A spokesman for the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (MICA) said, “Civil servants are allowed to participate in any media to share personal experiences on their hobbies, et cetera, that are not related to work if they do so responsibly in their own time and personal capacity.”

 

Steve Durbin, vice-president of sales and marketing at Information Security Forum told The Straits Times that the prevalence of social media and the widespread use by staff is a growing phenomenon that companies are trying to manage.

 

He added that a majority of companies are still finding ways to curb the widespread use of social media and instead proposed that companies tap on it for their own advantages.

 

“Switch this round, spend the time figuring out what benefits social media can bring, how the company can make use of these and then put in place guidelines that promote the positive use of this hugely powerful medium.”

 

Source : http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2010/09/02/sia-crew-members-warned-over-facebook-use/

[Johan Z 0]

I don't see any problems if they post any status or pictures, as long they are not defamatory. They are still humans like a lot of us. One of my friends on Facebook is First Officer for MH, so I have access to some of his friends' pictures, which mostly are MH FAs. You learned a lot about FA job when you see their pictures and will appreciate them even more.

The status mentioned (e.g. I'm going crazy) is not harmful at all.

[Waiping 12]

Maybe they'll just switch to tweeter.

[BC Tam 2]

The status mentioned (e.g. I'm going crazy) is not harmful at all.

Probably not harmful if it's an isolated one-off comment

However, if allowed to incubate, such sentiments will for sure spread far and wide

Two consequences I can think of

1) adversely affect staff/colleagues' morale

2) adversely affect customers' perception of company's product (you wanna be confined within a pressurized metal tube with a crazy kebaya clad girl at FL350 ?! )

[Mohd Suhaimi Fariz 2]

I think the safest thing to do is to have 2 Facebook profile, one professional and contains all work-related people and the other personal.

 

When you join Facebook you give up a bit of your privacy, so if you have a beef with your employers, the last thing you should ever do is to post it on Facebook!

 

Probably not harmful if it's an isolated one-off comment

However, if allowed to incubate, such sentiments will for sure spread far and wide

Two consequences I can think of

1) adversely affect staff/colleagues' morale

2) adversely affect customers' perception of company's product (you wanna be confined within a pressurized metal tube with a crazy kebaya clad girl at FL350 ?! )

 

Or, what SIA could do is to heed the warning signs and find ways to improve employee morale, probably by adjusting the things that caused the dissatisfaction in the first place.

[Johan Z 0]

Probably not harmful if it's an isolated one-off comment

However, if allowed to incubate, such sentiments will for sure spread far and wide

Two consequences I can think of

1) adversely affect staff/colleagues' morale

2) adversely affect customers' perception of company's product (you wanna be confined within a pressurized metal tube with a crazy kebaya clad girl at FL350 ?! )

 

Not only FA, but everyone must be more restrictive on who can view their Facebook profile. If you are a FA, don't add your customers or your employer into you friend list. I believe that's an unspoken rule everyone should know. I'm on Facebook everyday and I check my Facebook 10 times a day, but I always be very careful to accept a new friend request and what I'm posting.

They should have more control on their Facebook than these stalkers!

[LeeCH 0]

Like this cannot. Like that cannot. Everything also cannot.

[Aaron Goh 1]

mana human rights? wonder can a company impose a rule to its employees that contradict the constitution of the country? just wondering

[Gavin Andrew David 6]

I'm sure they can

 

If you are in the aviation industry , you can kiss your rights to free speech goodbye !

[Mohd Suhaimi Fariz 2]

I'm sure they can

 

If you are in the aviation industry , you can kiss your rights to free speech goodbye !

 

Well, I don't think it's exclusive to the aviation industry!