Social Media

Many organisations introduce their staff to the public by posting a summary of their employee's qualifications, achievements and other background information on the company website. This type of advertising allows customers to get to know the staff of the company, allowing them to decide on which employee is best suited to assist them with their needs and ensuring that the employee is properly qualified.

Privacy laws are governed by the Privacy Act 1988 (the Act). According to the Act, a company is exempt from these laws when it comes to posting information about an employee when it is related to the job or position that the employee holds.

Section 7B(3) of the Act states:

Employee records

3) An act done, or practice engaged in, by an organisation that is or was an employer of an individual, is exempt for the purposes of paragraph 7 (1)(ee) if the act or practice is directly related to:

b) An employee record held by the organisation and relating to the individual.

This translates that employers are able to advertise information about their employees as long as they are still employed by the company and as long as the information is strictly work related, no special permission is required.