Private Employee Chats: lessons to be learned

Ironically, the Sheffield nightclub 'Corporation' has come under fire after former manager Debbie Barker had been fired from her job after leaked messages from a staff chat, where she and other employees had vented their frustrations with Mark Hobson, revealed that she had insulted him. Barker has won her tribunal claim against her former boss for unfair dismissal.

The staff chat, named 'Rebel Alliance', had initially been created for employees to communicate with each other when furloughed during the pandemic. However, the chat had soon become a platform for employees to express their grievances about Hobson.

Unfortunately (or not) two employees in the chat had secretly taken screenshots of the messages and shared them with Hobson, resulting in Barker's dismissal. The employment tribunal heard that the employees had deleted their own messages in the group, which reportedly included threats to kill Hobson.

However, the tribunal ruled that Barker had been unfairly dismissed and awarded her compensation. The tribunal said that the chat had not been intended to harm the nightclub or Hobson's reputation, but rather to express frustrations about work-related issues.

The case raises interesting questions about the use of private employee chats and the right to express frustrations and opinions about managers (and) or colleagues.

The case highlights the importance of ensuring a fair and thorough investigation, that perhaps dismissal need not be the only outcome, and possibly more importantly effective communication with employees.

Winston Solicitors can provide advice to employers on the appropriate handling of such cases to prevent unfair dismissal claims and promote healthy workplace relationships.