Work-related Blogs and News

College staff rise up against principal

2012-01-27T14:26:00.003Z

Some anonymous employees of Adam Smith College in Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland have taken to the Internet to vent their apparent individual and collective lack of faith in their current Principal and Board of Directors.

See the following website/blog: It's our college not Craig's.

Not sure how long the campaign has been going on for but 164 responses so far from interested parties.

Well worth a look whichever angle you would see such a difficult situation.

What happens when the company Twitter user quits?

2012-01-04T15:37:00.002Z

Hopefully what is typical is not to be defined by this article recently in the Guardian:

A Twitter user is being sued for £217,000 by his former employer for taking his online followers with him when he switched jobs.

Noah Kravitz, a writer from Oakland, California, amassed 17,000 followers on the social networking site when he worked for PhoneDog, a website providing news and reviews about mobile phones.

He posted Twitter messages under the name @Phonedog_Noah, but in October 2010 he left the company, renamed his account @noahkravitz and took his following with him.

PhoneDog has launched legal proceedings seeking damages of $2.50 a month per follower for eight months, for a total of $340,000.

The company is arguing that Kravitz's list of followers constitutes a customer database and the valuation is an estimate of how much each follower is worth to the company.

The case raises questions about the value of Twitter to companies that are increasingly using the website to communicate with customers and promote their products.

Legal observers believe that if damages are awarded against Kravitz, it could set a precedent for assigning a commercial value to Twitter followers acquired in a business context.

For more details see Company sues ex-employee for his Twitter followers (by Robert Booth).

Teachers warned about use of Twitter and Facebook

2012-01-04T15:21:00.002Z

Scottish teachers are being warned that their use of social networking sites could put their careers at risk.

The Scottish Secondary Teachers Association believes teachers can reveal too much personal information on sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

The union also fears they could become overly familiar with pupils.

For more details see: Teachers warned over Facebook and Twitter use (BBC News).

Why strike?

2011-12-12T10:44:00.000Z

Grip tightening on what you can say about employers on the Internet?

2011-12-05T14:45:00.003Z

According to an article from The Guardian, firms and employment tribunals are finally getting to grips with social networking, in that many companies now have a social media/blogging policy as part of their contractual terms with employees, as well as employment tribunals recently upholding a number of dismissals against employees for gross misconduct relating to blogging about work.

Game over?

Personally, I doubt it, but it will have some affect on what employees write on their Facebook or blog.

In my view this is just more evidence of employers punishing people for the problems they create in the first, i.e. employers manage people badly, the employee has few ways to complain about the employer, the employer finds out and disciplines the employee.

Britain will struggle to emerge from recession if British employers keep leaning on law makers to keep changing employment law to suit their own interests.

For more details see How your Facebook status could put you out of work by Philip Landau.

More Facebook-related misbehaviour

2011-11-25T12:32:00.002Z

There are many examples of how Facebook has played a part in employee misbehaviour on this blog - see "Facebook" tag below.

A further example of how Facebook can play in employee misbehaviour/misconduct was reported today on the BBC News website.

Some details...

An investigation is under way into claims a hospital cleaner contacted a female patient on Facebook after accessing her personal records.

It is understood the mother-of-two was treated in accident and emergency at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary last week.

The woman said she was contacted by the cleaner on the social network site the following day.

Consort, the private company which employs the man, said they were treating the matter very seriously.

For more information see Cleaner 'contacted patient' on Facebook.

"Negative" work blogging can be good for employers

2011-11-24T10:55:00.004Z

I've just come across a paper that suggests employee who post negative comments about their employer can lead to positive outcomes.

There is a catch of course in that the ratio of "negative" postings to more positive postings should not generally exceed 15 to 20 per cent.

For more information about this paper - Blog, Blogger, and the Firm: Can Negative Posts by Employees Lead to Positive Outcomes? by Rohit Aggarwal - click here.

Nurse sacked for misuse of Facebook

2011-10-31T08:50:00.005Z

According to the BBC News website:

A nurse was dismissed from Nottingham University Hospitals Trust after posting a picture of a patient on Facebook, it has emerged.

The case was one of 29 reported breaches of patient confidentiality at the trust over the past three years.

The figures from July 2008 to July 2011 were obtained under a Freedom of Information Act request from campaign group Big Brother Watch.

The trust said it took any breach of data protection extremely seriously.

A total of eight members of staff were dismissed over the breaches.

For more details see Nottingham nurse sacked over Facebook photo.

Facebook and careers

2011-10-27T08:55:00.003Z

I found an interesting article in the Telegraph just yesterday that relates to students being concerned about how using Facebook may hamper their future careers.

It is based on a YouGov survey that suggests over 40 per cent of current students have concerns in this area.

For more information see Students fear Facebook posts will hurt job prospects by Emma Barnett.

Web 2.0 and employment relations

2011-10-11T14:21:00.004Z

ACAS has published a research paper on the implications of Web 2.0 technologies (e.g. Facebook, LinkedIn, blogging, etc.) for employment relations.

The paper is called Workplaces and Social Networking: The Implications for Employment Relations.

It is written by Andrea Broughton, Tom Higgins, Ben Hicks and Annette Cox of the Institute for Employment Studies.

The aim of the paper is to answer the following questions:

● How extensive is the use of social media in UK workplaces?

● What challenges and opportunities do social media present for management of employment relations?

● What does good practice in this area look like?

Click here to access the paper.

Japanese work blogger in trouble

2011-09-13T12:15:00.001Z

According to the BBC News website a Japanese air traffic controller has been questioned after apparently blogging about the flight plans of the US president's plane, Air Force One.

The unnamed controller, who works at Tokyo International Airport, faces possible charges or disciplinary action.

For more details see Japan air controller 'blogged Air Force One flight plans'.

New research paper on employee blogging

2011-09-02T11:35:00.003Z

I've just come across a paper published earlier this year on employee blogging.

General details can be found here.

Some details of the study (provided by Business Wire):

The authors looked at bloggers in Fortune 500 IT consulting and services companies that permitted both leisure- and work-related blogging, and studied work environments where the company prohibits leisurely blogging.

They found that when organizations put restrictions on leisure blogging, online work-related knowledge sharing decreases.

The authors believe this happens because creating social media content at work not only helps employees to educate those seeking information, but also helps them build social relationships in the workplace.

An employee can attract fellow employees to his blog with an entertaining or leisure post and, because work-related posts are on the same page, there is a spillover effect with people reading work-related articles.

The actual paper can be found here: A Structural Model of Employee Behavioral Dynamics in Enterprise Social Media by Yan Huang, Param Vir Singh and Anindya Ghose.

Employee sacked for criticising employer on Facebook

2011-08-21T19:30:00.004Z

According to an article in the Daily Mail newspaper over the weekend another employee has last his job for criticising his employer on Facebook.

What appears to be an important difference to previous dismissals for this kind of behaviour is that the employer in question - Argos - was not named by the employee on his Facebook page.

There appears to be plenty of information missing in the article so it's hard to say if the employer over-reacted.

See Argos fires father with cancer after he uses Facebook to call company 'shambles' by Simon Neville for more details.

RAF blogger

2011-08-09T15:48:00.002Z

According to the BBC News website:

A blog about the life of an RAF airman currently on tour in Afghanistan has notched up 80,000 hits, thanks to its blend of humour and gritty realism.

The article goes onto look at the attraction in describing war.

Click here for the article in question (by Andy McFarlane).

Click here to view the RAF Airman Blog.

What civil servants (mis)use the Internet for on work time

2011-08-03T11:23:00.002Z

According to the BBC News website the other day, the Department for Transport (DfT) has disclosed the 1,000 sites visited most often by staff while at work.

Belly dancing, Doctor Who and the Roman Empire are just some of the interests of civil servants as revealed by their web browsing habits.

To see the BBC News article (by Victoria King) click here.

To see the actual report by the DfT click here.

Employer guidance on Web 2.0 use in the workplace

2011-07-30T12:25:00.003Z

Employers need to provide clear guidance for staff regarding the use of social networking sites to avoid inappropriate relationships, harassment of staff and the potential for disclosure of confidential information, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has warned.

See Businesses warned to provide guidance on social media by Nick Martindale for more details.

Work blog becomes TV comedy drama

2011-06-27T14:07:00.003Z

According to the Independent a work blog has been turned into a TV comedy drama.

The blog in question is Random Acts of Reality.

The blog is now defunct (or on hiatus?) and written by Brian Kellet.

The TV drama is called Sirens and will be first transmitted on Channel 4 at 10 p.m. Monday 27 June.

Brief details from Channel 4: A team of world-weary paramedics are forced to confront the dregs of society - not to mention their own inadequacies.

For a good introduction/overview of Sirens see Is blogging really the stuff of great drama? by Gerard Gilbert.

Police officer sacked because of Facebook use

2011-06-26T11:34:00.003Z

Looks like a police officer was not following the advice of the article detailed below.

Some details:

A police constable has been sacked for posting offensive messages about a colleague on Facebook and harassing a female colleague.

The 35-year-old Met officer, who was based in Islington, referred to another officer as a "grass" and a "liar" on the social networking site last year.

See Metropolitan Police officer sacked over Facebook posts (BBC News) for more details.

What you shouldn't do on Facebook...

2011-06-18T21:11:00.004Z

The BBC recently came up with a list of things you should perhaps not do when on Facebook, many of which relate to employment.

The five include:

1) Make friends with people you shouldn't.

2) Moan about your boss/customers/constituents.

3) Upload dodgy photos.

4) Enjoy your sick leave too much.

5) Spill secrets.

For more details see Facebook: Five things to avoid by Marie Jackson.

Trade unions video message to IBM

2011-06-10T08:24:00.002Z

Winner of LabourStart labour video of the year

2011-06-06T22:02:00.004Z

Research report on social networking tools in the workplace

2011-05-10T10:25:00.004Z

HR Zone have just released a new report about the uses for social networking tools in the workplace.

The report has been done in conjunction with Skillsoft.

To get a copy of the report click HERE.

Work blog helps tsunami survivors

2011-05-09T15:20:00.003Z

An article in today's Guardian (see G2 section) looks at a blog kept by a Japanese nurse in the aftermath of the recent tsunami.

A quick snippet from the article:

...Painstakingly tapped into the nurse's mobile phone at the end of exhausting days touring evacuation zones and hospitals, the blog chronicles eight days that begin with trepidation and end with a reluctant return to Tokyo.

In between, there are moments of despair and optimism, even humour.

And floods of tears...

For more details see 'Do not cry': a nurse's blog brings comfort to Japan's tsunami survivors by Justin McCurry.

E-learning and Web 2.0

2011-05-04T06:49:00.003Z

The CIPD has just announced a new podcast on the topic of e-learning and web 2.0 communication technology.

The podcast is entitled: Learning and development in a socially networked age.

A brief outline:

John McGurk assess how e-learning is increasing in the workplace but wonders about how effectively it is used and evaluated in companies.

He is a convert to the Twitter method of sharing of information.

Later he adds to the discussion on the age divide in the use of social media.

To access the podcast click HERE.

The law of work blogging

2011-05-02T15:13:00.002Z

I just came across a blog article about work-related blogs that comes via the Hofstra Labor & Employment Law Journal.

It's called "Blog Wars: Employer Controls and Employee Rights Regarding Personal Blogging".

It's written by Kyle Mitchell.

The article is based on USA labour law but worth a look whatever the case may be.

To view it click HERE.

Is it okay to criticise your employer on Twitter?

2011-04-19T09:44:00.003Z

According to a recent article courtesy of the New York Times it is.

However, the criticism is restricted and needs to be reasonable as the follow section of the article suggests:

...Labor law specialists say employees have the right to criticize or disparage their companies or supervisors as part of a conversation aimed at improving working conditions, but do not have the right to merely curse supervisors or make untrue, disloyal statements that damage a company’s reputation...

For more details see Labor Panel to Press Reuters Over Reaction to Twitter Post by Steven Greenhouse.

Thanks to Union Renewal blog for story.

More work-related blog research...

2011-04-19T07:37:00.003Z

For the second month in succession is a new research article on work-related blogs.

It's by Abigail Schoneboom again.

The title of the article is Workblogging in a Facebook age.

The abstract is as follows:

In keeping with this journal’s recent attempt to revive worker narratives as a means of understanding social questions, this research note reflects on the significance of workblogging as a window on the labour process.

The article reflects on the impact of emerging social networking tools such as Facebook, as well as factors such as increased surveillance and blog searchability, on how and where workplace stories are told.

It assesses some of the problems of conducting research in a rapidly changing blogosphere and argues that researchers must sustain trusting relationships with bloggers, as well as staying abreast of emerging social networking practices, in order not to lose sight of these important recalcitrant voices.

For more details of the said article click here.

New work-related blog research

2011-03-11T07:38:00.004Z

A new research article by Abigail Schoneboom on work-related blogs has just come out.

It has been published in the New Technology, Work and Employment journal.

It is entitled: Sleeping giants? Fired workbloggers and labour organisation.

The abstract reads as follows:

This paper argues that the Waterstone's fired blogger incident performed a labour organising function in terms of garnering pro-labour media attention and encouraging critical discourse.

Looking at the blog's distinctive features and evolution, it evaluates the strengths, limitations and potential for recurrence of similar high-profile incidents.

For more details click here.

TUC video competition about spending cuts

2011-02-16T12:37:00.001Z

The TUC invites you to make a 60 second awareness-raising advert about the Impact of the spending cuts...

For more detail click here.

Web 2.0 and work

2011-02-09T10:12:00.003Z

Two Web 2.0 and work stories in the news just recently.

The first is from Australia and involves the use of social networking sites to discuss employment matters:

The Commonwealth Bank in Australia has been forced to rethink its social media policy after revelations that staff could be disciplined or even sacked if their friends criticised the bank on sites such as Facebook...

Social media policy goes bad at Commonwealth Bank (Cath Everett, HR Zone).

The second concerns whether Twittered messages are in the public domain:

Material that is published on Twitter should be considered public and can be published, the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) has ruled.

The decision follows a complaint by a Department of Transport official that the use of her tweets by newspapers constituted an invasion of privacy...

'Twitter messages not private' rules PCC (BBC News).

Top ten corporate blogs

2011-02-08T08:34:00.002Z

Below is a link to an article that claims to have found the ten best corporate blogs.

The criteria:

...Amid the coal pile that is the state of corporate blogging today, I did manage to find a few diamonds that don’t bore to tears with pronouncements, promotions and product announcements (the Killer P’s) ...

See The Ten Best Corporate Blogs in the World (Business 2 Community).

Web 2.0 and the future of workplace relations

2011-01-27T19:47:00.003Z

A new report from ACAS comments on Web 2.0 and how such technology could have an effect on the future of workplace/employment relations.

For employees the following is discussed in the new report:

The use of social media by unions to reach both a younger generation and a more dispersed workforce is already well underway.

Commentators believe that the unions are moving from the services model of the 90s through the organising model of the noughties to the more sophisticated social movement model with its greater appeal to a younger audience.

Web 3.0 technology with its seamless integration between data bases will enable
much greater interactivity between users and the web.

This will enable trade unions to refine their recruitment practices where individuals can be attracted to a social movement website first and then directed to trade union sites.

For employers:

As the virtual workplace becomes more prevalent, employers will need to give careful thought to the management of a dispersed workforce where employees may have infrequent face-to-face contact with their colleagues...

For more details and concluding comments see The Future of Workplace Relations - An ACAS View.

Web 2.0 and finding a job

2011-01-25T16:44:00.001Z

Tweeting football players

2011-01-11T17:52:00.003Z

Two stories recently emerged of disgruntled professional football players letting off some steam on Twitter.

Aldershot Town striker Marvin Morgan has been placed on the transfer list following a message he posted on social networking website Twitter... - see Aldershot's Marvin Morgan transfer listed over tweet (BBC News).

And...

Players' chief Gordon Taylor has described the Football Association as "very precious" for charging Liverpool winger Ryan Babel over Twitter posts... - see PFA's Gordon Taylor defends Ryan Babel's Twitter posts (BBC News).

And footballers wonder why people roll their eyes when they refer to themselves as "professionals"!

Social worker blog

2010-12-13T16:35:00.002Z

I've not put any new work-related blogs on my blog for some time.

However, my eye was caught by the reference to a work-related blog via a brief mention in today's Guardian - click here.

The work-related blog is called Fighting Monsters: The Life and Thoughts of a British Social Worker.

Is Web 2.0 changing the nature of employee-employer disputes?

2010-12-07T13:35:00.002Z

According to a conference organised by ACAS: "the rise of social media could see more and different forms of unofficial unrest used in future disputes."

It was argued that "the accessibility and speed of tools such as Twitter, YouTube and Facebook mean that workers can be mobilised quicker than ever before."

For more details see Social media needs to be taken seriously warns Acas.

Draft dodgers caught via Facebook

2010-12-06T15:19:00.003Z

I've just come a cross an article several weeks old, yet it tells quite a modern work-related story.

It seems that the Israeli army has come up with a way to deal with female draft dodgers - by using Facebook to see if they are actually Orthodox Jews.

Here are some of things the Israeli army found:

Examples of young women who had declared themselves exempt posting photographs of themselves on Facebook in immodest clothing, or eating in non-kosher restaurants.

Others were caught by responding to party invitations on Friday nights - the Jewish Sabbath.

For more details see Israeli army uses Facebook to expose draft dodgers by Wyre Davies (BBC News).

Me, myself and social media

2010-11-30T16:14:00.003Z

Stuck at a train station today in the freezing weather, I was drawn to an article in the Harvard Business Review.

The article is called: Managing Yourself: What’s Your Personal Social Media Strategy? and is by Soumitra Dutta.

The article is arguing that organisational leaders should do more to lead via social media, or Web 2.0 communication technologies, such as blogs, Twitter and Facebook.

Reasons why Dutta believes leaders should "embrace" social media:

1) They provide a low-cost platform on which to build your personal brand, communicating who you are both within and outside your company.

2) They allow you to engage rapidly and simultaneously with peers, employees, customers, and the broader public, especially younger generations, in the same transparent and direct way they expect from everyone in their lives.

3) They give you an opportunity to learn from instant information and unvarnished feedback.

Active participation in social media can be a powerful tool—the difference between leading effectively and ineffectively, and between advancing and faltering in the pursuit of your goals.

I think these views have wider relevance and application, although I also think that organisational leaders potentially have an awful lot to lose if they do all the above.

USA military goes Web 2.0

2010-11-23T13:15:00.003Z

It says something when the USA military email you directly with a press release!

The press release concerns a new venture by the USA army in relation to army staff and how they use Web 2.0 communication technology.

From my viewpoint this looks like a way to contain the problems the military has with employees communicating from "behind the lines."

Here is the press release and supporting video (make of it what you wish to!):

The U.S. Army has launched milTube, a secure, behind-the-firewall website providing a safe military alternative to commercial video-sharing sites like YouTube.

MilTube allows the military workforce to watch and share videos across installations worldwide.

The site follows Web 2.0 tools milBook, milWiki and milBlog, which already have more than 88,500 users across the Department of Defense.

Attached is a press release and high-resolution images for your publication.

You can watch a short video about milTube here:

Sacked by text and unfair dismissal

2010-10-25T15:35:00.003Z

I don't think this is the first time I have referred to a story about an employee sacked via a new form of information communication technology.

Another story emerged over the past few days involving a "bar maid" sacked via text message, except this time the employee filed for unfair dismissal.

The verdict: A £14,000 pay out from the employer for failing to follow standard disciplinary procedures.

For more details see Dundee barmaid payout after text sacking (BBC News).

Internet and regret

2010-10-22T15:35:00.003Z

Ever regret posting something to the Internet?

Worried that your Internet antics may catch up on you in later life?

May be they have done already!

Well, according to the BBC News website, you could get in touch with what has been terms an "online reputation manager" - in other words, someone you can employ to clean up your record on the web.

Apparently a small range of firms have set themselves up to "monitor what is written about clients and drown out unwanted comments or photographs by creating or sourcing a barrage of positive Google-friendly content."

Sound a bit extreme to me, but could be worth it if you have a lot to lose from having a dodgy "netrep."

See Online profile spring cleaning by Claire Prentice for a lot more details.

Police use of Twitter

2010-10-18T08:44:00.002Z

According to BBC News website, Greater Manchester Police have set up a 24-hour Twitter feed so every call it receives can be made public.

More details:

The feed has revealed the extremely varied nature of emergency calls the force receives.

One minute someone is calling about a baby being dangled over a bridge - although later it turns out that it was a dog.

Shortly afterwards, the force receives another 999 call about fireworks being set off in a local park.

Then another call is received about a missing mother and son, and at the same time another operator is taking down details of a missing person who has been found.

Another tweet from a member of the public congratulates the police on the finding the missing woman, then a second later there's a robbery in Salford to attend to.

For more details see Greater Manchester Police tweets sparking interest.

What's the odds of the boss finding out you have a work blog?

2010-09-28T09:02:00.003Z

I'm sure of the methodology behind these findings, but a recent article suggests the following concerning employer monitoring of employee Internet and Web 2.0 activities:

The odds an employer monitors employee blogs are 1 in 7.14

1 in 3.13 employers monitor employee email at work

1 in 6.25 employers, or 16 per cent monitor employees’ social networking profiles

The odds an employer monitors employee instant messaging at work are 1 in 6.25.

For more details see The Boss is Listening: Electronic Monitoring at Work by Jon Sobel (Book of Odds).

UnionBook

2010-08-26T08:20:00.004Z

It appears that LabourStart has re-launched it's trade unionist social networking site.

The social networking site is called UnionBook.

Updated tools include:

- post your photos, videos and music

- join existing groups and create new ones

- add comments to other people's content

- add events to our online labour calendar

- post entries to your blog

- update your status

- make friends

- use the online chat to talk with other trade unionists online

- invite friends and fellow union members to sign up too

- send us your questions, comments, and suggestions - use the special group called "UnionBook Help and Support Network" to do so.

Twittering in the workplace

2010-08-18T08:27:00.004Z

According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, a Korean company is experimenting with Twitter as a means to communicate with and between its 7,000 strong workforce.

Some brief details:

...At LG CNS, a group of developers who maintain the company's array of internal message boards, employee blogs and databases decided the Twitter-style service could provide a means for mass communication that was less formal than email and less technical than postings on topic-oriented bulletin boards.

The group of employees took several of the key Twitter APIs and built BizTweet on LG CNS's internal network. Last month, they invited 1,000 employees to test BizTweet.

What has emerged, they say, is a real-time public conversation in the company.

On Monday, the company made BizTweet available to all of its employees, and they posted more than 300 messages...

For more detail see Korean Firm Tweaks Twitter for Workers by Evan Ramstad.

Labour and technology blog

2010-07-03T10:25:00.004Z

If you are interested in how organised labour can take advantage of Web 2.0 communication technology then you should make Eric Lee's new blog a priority.

Through Eric's blog you can download a range of regularly added podcasts on this subject.

Subjects covered in Eric's blog include, for example, Facebook, news aggregators, Geocities and Twitter.

Access Eric's Labour and Technology Podcast blog by clicking here.

What is modern working really like?

2010-06-30T10:34:00.003Z

Browsing Network, the BSA magazine, just the other day, I came across a website about work run by several sociologists.

It is called: No way to make a living.

It is meant to be about creating a sociological space about work by generating a discussion and exchange on what work, pair or unpaid, is like in today's world.

To learn more about No way to make a living click here.

To visit the site click here.

Cyberunions and research

2010-06-28T16:09:00.003Z

Can trade unions prosper in Cyber-space?

I think the answer to this question is still unclear, but the following web-site should help people make up their mind.

See Cyberunions by Walton Pantland.

Taking an on-line "pop at the boss"

2010-06-28T16:06:00.001Z

...A survey last month found that 40% of employees use social media to complain about their workplace, and one in five to take a pop at the boss.

Many forget that their profile is public, or that their manager is among their online friends or followers, and so can read every word...

For more details read How not to complain about colleagues (BBC News: Magazine).

TUC 60 Second Ad Contest

2010-06-17T13:56:00.002Z

Your challenge is to make a short advert for the TUC that encourages people to get involved and join a trade union.

In the current climate, people need trade unions more than ever and this is your opportunity to show people why.

Your ad should be aimed at those who have little or no knowledge of trade unions.

The ad should display a positive message that encourages people to either join or to get involved with trade unions.

Once you’ve made your ad, complete the online form and send it to us.

We’ll then put it up on our website.

Your ad will be voted for by the public, before hopefully being short listed and presented to a panel of experienced judges.

Click HERE for more details.

Web 2.0 NHS Scotland

2010-06-10T21:40:00.002Z

According to the BBC News website:

An online database that will allow NHS staff to share information has been unveiled by Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon.

The Knowledge Network will include a "Google-style" search engine with access to a huge bank of educational resources as well as personal space for employees to gather information.

The network will be managed by NHS Education for Scotland (NES).

It aims to save staff time and bring online resources together in one place.

The Scottish government said the resource did not include access to patients' records but was designed to support the information needs of the health and social care workforce.

The network website includes community spaces in areas as diverse as psychiatry, bereavement, community care, ethics and general practice.

For more details see New NHS Scotland 'knowledge bank' launched.

The workplace Twitter

2010-05-27T10:10:00.003Z

BBC News ran an article earlier the week detailing four cases of how Twitter led to work-related problems.

What prompted the article was almost certainly the case of Derek Simpson - joint leader of UNITE union - Twittering away during ACAS talks with British Airways.

See Be careful what you tweet by Will Smale for more details.

Internet misbehaviour and lost productivity

2010-05-26T14:38:00.004Z

According to an article on the BBC News website yesterday, one on-line game is said to have costed the USA economy in the region of $120m in lost productivity.

For more details see Google Pac-Man eats up work time.

To play Google Pac-Man click here.

Click on "Insert Coin" to play!

Work blogger wins Orwell Prize for best blog

2010-05-20T09:52:00.003Z

According to an article in The Guardian yesterday, a blog written by a social worker - Winston Smith: Working with the underclass - has won a prestigious blog award.

The blog is written by an anonymous male who tells tales of his experiences as a care home worker.

He also details the failings of senior managers and some of seemingly absurd policies and practices put in place by the social services, and criticises "a systems that is useless and ineffective."

See Orwell Prize goes to blogger who writes about 'working with the underclass' by James Robinson for more details.

The work blogger and a World Cup campaign

2010-05-17T19:05:00.002Z

According to The Times today England's chances of landing the 2018 World Cup has been dealt a severe blow by a work blogger!

Some details:

The first indications that a storm was brewing were made public more than a month ago.

But only the most eagle-eyed internet observer would have stumbled across the anonymous blog post.

“I am a single thirtysomething from London,” it began.

“I have been working as a Whitehall civil servant since 2002.”

What followed were claims that the author was friends with a former Labour minister.

“Mr T” worked in a “high-profile position”.

Yesterday it emerged that Mr T was in fact Lord T — David Triesman — the chairman of the Football Association.

What was more, the blogger, Melissa Jacobs, had secretly taped the peer, also the head of England’s 2018 World Cup bid, making a series of ill-judged remarks that swiftly became his undoing.

See Melissa Jacobs: the civil servant blogger with ‘beautiful eyes’.

HR practioners and Web 2.0

2010-04-23T09:25:00.002Z

I've just come across a research report that looks at whether HR professionals have grasped opportunities afforded by Web 2.0 technologies, such as social networking forums.

For more details see Conversations at your fingertips by CHA.

Caught misbehaving at work!

2010-04-21T15:27:00.001Z

A bus driver has been suspended after a passenger filmed him apparently reading while driving along a dual carriageway in Birmingham.

The passenger, who wishes to remain anonymous, filmed the National Express West Midlands driver steering with his elbows while holding a small book.

They said they took the footage after getting on the number 61 bus at Selly Oak at 2005 BST on Monday.

See Bus driver filmed reading while driving in Birmingham (BBC News) for more details - and an interesting video.

Labour video of the year

2010-04-02T11:58:00.001Z

To see all other six nominated videos click here.

Would you "out" a work blogger?

2010-03-29T14:32:00.002Z

This is the dilemma set out in "Work ethics" - a feature of The Guardian's Saturday Work supplement.

More details:

I've discovered an 'anonymous' work blog which I'm sure is all about our office.

Events match up uncannily and while no one's identified, people have been given recognisably rude nicknames.

I'm pretty sure I know who's behind it, but I haven't made it public yet.

How should I handle this?

If you know what you would do, click on this link and leave a comment or email the editor.

Facebook and trade union organising

2010-03-26T09:33:00.004Z

A discussion paper released by ACAS this week recognises the use of Web 2.0 communication technologies in the organisation of industrial conflict.

Of particular note is a reflection on how tools such as Facebook appear to be an increasingly common organising and recruitment tool for "younger stewards".

The paper is entitled: Riding out the storm: managing conflict in a recession and beyond - click here for a copy.

Some details (p.5):

Unofficial action and alternative ways of organising

The ongoing decline in both collective bargaining as a method of managing employment relations and of collective action as a ‘managed’ expression of collective discontent shows no sign of slowing.

But if formal channels are closed off to employees there is likely to be a rise in unofficial expressions of discontent.

There are now more sophisticated methods of communicating with large audiences via social networking sites such as Facebook, and indeed there are already unions who are reporting younger stewards using this as a recruiting and organising tool.

The first employee to be fired via Facebook?

2010-03-23T07:31:00.004Z

According to the Daily Mail yesterday, Elaine Sutton the manageress of Cookies in Leigh, Greater Manchester, fired Chelsea Taylor from her Saturday job for losing a £10 note during an errand to get some biscuits for the staff.

More details can be found by reading the following article - Schoolgirl, 16, distraught after 'heartless' cafe uses Facebook to sack her from Saturday job.

Also see graphic to see how it was done!

New research paper on employee Internet use

2010-03-11T10:29:00.005Z

I've just finished a paper I intend to present to a conference in the USA early next week - see details.

The paper is entitled: The employee and the Internet age: A reflection, map and research agenda.

A copy can be viewed here.

And some details:

The main aim of this paper is to provide a systematic review of the burgeoning, yet far from cohesive, literature that surrounds employee use of the Internet, with view to reflecting upon the extent to which employees have more broadly (or not) benefitted in the Internet age.

This is achieved by drawing on a range of literature associated with the study of employment and work organisations. Due to the nature of Internet communication technologies and how this conflicts with the much slower nature of academic output, the review and mapping exercise is supplemented by press reports of emergent employee uses for new forms of Internet-based communication technologies, such as blogs, social networking sites and wikis.

The review is based on examining the shift from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0 and followed by an overall discussion of important employee-related changes that characterise the shift from the old to the new Internet.

The main conclusion of the review is that the Internet represents a “double-edged” sword, yet the shift from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0 appears to have opened up fresh and exciting opportunities for employees to engage with their jobs, misbehave, shape trade union practices, and, challenge managerialist discourses.

Finally, the findings are diagrammatically mapped out, the limits of the study are discussed and a range of important research opportunities and challenges are presented.

I'd be more than happy to receive comments on my paper!

A role for Facebook during a strike?

2010-03-10T13:55:00.003Z

An article that appeared on Personnel Today about a recent civil service strike makes reference to Facebook and how employees who did not strike may do so if this continues to be the course of action taken by the PCS trade union.

Here are details of what is really supposed to have happened during the strike:

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) civil servants in Carlisle have alleged they were ordered to imitate answerphones between 12pm and 2pm on Monday, so that when callers got through, the workers would say: "Due to the high volume of enquiries we are currently experiencing, we are unable to take your call".

And here's how details of this management tactic became known to strikers and the media:

The claim, widely discussed on social networking site Facebook, is said to have made non-strikers consider joining the strike – which lasted two days between 8 Monday and 9 Tuesday March – over changes to the civil service redundancy terms.

For more details see Non-striking civil servants 'pretended to be answering machines' to handle volume of calls.

Facebook misbehaviour and the consequences

2010-03-05T06:50:00.002Z

The Israeli military cancelled a planned raid on a Palestinian village after one of its soldiers posted details of the operation on Facebook.

The unnamed soldier revealed the time and place of the raid and the name of his unit on the social networking site.

He said on his status update that his unit planned a "clean up" raid.

The soldier was court-martialled and sentenced to 10 days in prison.

He was also ousted from his battalion and relieved of combat duties.

See Israeli military 'unfriends' soldier after Facebook leak (BBC News) for more details.

Academics discover podcasting

2010-03-04T11:26:00.003Z

Wonders never cease!

See a new initiative run by Human Relations journal.

Click here for details.

US troops allowed to use Web 2.0

2010-03-01T13:05:00.002Z

According to the BBC News website over the weekend:

US troops are to be allowed to use social networking websites such as Twitter and Facebook following a review of internet use and security.

Defence department officials say the benefits of using social media now outweigh the risks to security.

The ruling means that a number of sites blocked by the Pentagon in 2007 - including YouTube - will be unblocked.

However, commanders will be able to temporarily block access to safeguard missions or save bandwidth.

Correspondents say social media and the internet are becoming increasingly important for the US military.

The web is used for recruitment, public relations and for communications between troops and their families, among other things.

US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has said that social networking can help the Pentagon interact with US military employees, many of whom are in their early 20s and regular users of online services.

For more details see Twitter and Facebook access for US troops.

Unofficial online community site for McDonalds employees

2010-02-23T15:05:00.002Z

If you work in McDonald's, or know anyone who does, or are just curious, you should check on a new unofficial online community site for employees of McDonalds.

To see the site for yourself visit McJobs.

Interns get organised

2010-02-16T12:44:00.002Z

Working from home has certain advantages - one of which is putting on the telly when a breaks is needed.

Watching Working Lunch today allowed me to hear of Interns Anonymous.

More details from the creators of this blog-styled web-page:

Interns Anonymous has been set up by two graduates currently working as unpaid interns.

We want this website to be a forum for interns to share their experiences and discuss the ethics of unpaid employment.

Most importantly, we want this site to be a place where YOU can tell us your story.

You can find out more about Interns Anonymous here.

Leaking corporate info to the Internet

2010-02-13T11:26:00.003Z

It's feast or famine at the moment for Web 2.0 employment-related stories...

Yesterday the BBC News website reported that environmental campaigners had inflitrated oil giant Royal Dutch Shell - I assume they were infiltrated by a campaigner working as an employee of Shell - and leaked the contact details of 170,000 employees and contractors to the internet.

For more details see Shell security breach reveals employee details.

Internet McCarthyism?

2010-02-12T09:26:00.004Z

Internet McCarthyism - this is the term used by the Unite trade union towards British Airways, who have recently suspended 15 flight attendants for writing Facebook comments and sending private emails about a "name and shame" list of pilots who volunteered to help break possible upcoming strikes.

It seems a very messy affair that is perhaps best understood by reading the following article - BA suspends cabin staff in Facebook row over list of strike-breaking pilots (by Caroline Davis, The Guardian).

Trade unions and video sharing

2010-02-11T11:53:00.001Z

Valentines Bed Push, Saturday 13 February, 1pm, Assemble Falls Rd. RVH @ Yahoo! Video

"Rogue employee" inflitrates employer's Twitter feed

2010-02-09T09:43:00.002Z

Courtesy of HR Zone:

The rogue employee, who has been suspended until further notice, used the mobile phone operator’s official account to post a message saying: “Vodafone UK is fed up of dirty homo’s [sic] and is going after beaver.”

The company uses Twitter to deal with customer service complaints and within minutes of the message appearing on Friday, hundreds of its 8,824 followers contacted it to ask whether its account had been hacked.

Vodafone deleted the message from its Twitterfeed within minutes, but copies quickly made their way around the internet and the firm was forced to issue hundreds of individual apologies to users, saying that it had not been hacked.

Instead it said that the situation arose due to a “severe breach of rules by staff in our building, dealing with that internally. We’re very sorry”.

The obscene tweet is understood to have come from Vodafone’s customer service centre in Stoke, where its web team uses a range of social networking sites to provide generally less contentious technical advice and new product information.

Vodafone is launching an internal investigation into the incident.

But it is not the first time that such sites have been used by staff in such an inappropriate fashion.

A year ago, for example, Virgin Atlantic sacked 13 of its cabin crew after they used Facebook to call passengers ‘chavs’ and claimed that the airline’s planes were full of cockroaches.

Hospital patients and Facebook

2010-01-22T13:55:00.002Z

It's been a barren month for Web 2.0 stories...

A hospital worker has been suspended amid reports that photos of patients having operations were posted on the social networking site Facebook.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde confirmed it had launched an investigation after an incident at the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow.

Patients were not thought to be identifiable in the images.

For more details see Hospital operation photos 'appear on Facebook' (BBC News).

Flash mob industrial protest challenged in court

2010-01-04T15:13:00.003Z

Nearly two years ago I wrote about an incident of flash mobbing that related to a strike in Germany - see here.

According to Union Renewal blog the same incident has led to the employer organisation accusing the activists of "systematically vandalizing shops" and is now attempting to sue the trade union that played a part in the organisation of the flash mob.

For more details see here.

The radical web

2009-12-20T11:37:00.000Z

New book on Web 2.0, Web 3.0 and Web X.o

2009-12-18T09:11:00.004Z

It's finally arrived!

It's called the Handbook of Research on Web 2.0, 3.0, and X.0: Technologies, Business, and Social Applications (IGI Global) and edited by San Murugesan of Multimedia University, Malaysia & University of Western Sydney, Australia.

The Handbook of Research on Web 2.0, 3.0, and X.0: Technologies, Business, and Social Applications is a comprehensive reference source on next-generation Web technologies and their applications.

This in-depth collection covers the latest aspects and applications of Web technologies including the emergence of virtual reality commerce systems, the importance of social bookmarking, cross-language data retrieval, image searching, cutting-edge Web security technologies, and innovative healthcare and finance applications on the Web.

Examining the social, cultural, and ethical issues these applications present, this Handbook of Research discusses real-world examples and case studies valuable to academicians, researchers, and practitioners.

My chapter is number 49 - How employees can leverage Web 2.0 in new ways to reflect on employment and employers.

For far more details click here.

Job losses heard via Facebook

2009-12-17T14:17:00.002Z

There's not been much in the news recently about Web 2.0 and the workplace, hence, perhaps my most barren period of blogging since I began this blog nearly four year ago.

I did come across a story today - centred around the collapse of Flyglobespan airlines based up here in Scotland.

According the BBC News story staff have not been informed about the state of the business, as one airline worker is quoted as such:

One senior cabin crew member for Flyglobespan told the BBC he had not yet been contacted by the company.

Tom Maguire from Prestwick added: "I'm completely devastated by this news the week before Christmas.

I feel totally let down.

"There is nothing on the staff website, we're just hearing things through Facebook.

No one has told me that I don't have a job."

For more details see Flyglobespan collapse strands thousands of passengers.

Social media and public services

2009-11-29T15:45:00.001Z

Social media could transform the NHS and other public services in the same way that file-sharing changed the music industry, a conference has heard.

Growing use of tools, such as Facebook and Twitter, offered an opportunity to reinvent services, delegates heard.

For more details see Social media 'could transform public services' (Mark Ward, BBC News: Technology).

Policework and Twitter

2009-11-21T13:32:00.002Z

The police force in the UK doesn't have a good record when it comes to officers blogging about the jobs that they do.

Yet, for some reason, some police have been allowed to "tweet" about such matters.

I suspect it will all be above board and anyone caught doing anything suspect will be heavily disciplined.

See extract from BBC News article:

PC Ed Rogerson is like many other beat bobbies.

He patrols his patch, fights crime and gives out crime prevention advice.

But in one respect he is different to almost every other copper walking a beat.

PC Ed Rogerson is on Twitter.

He is one of about 20 or so police officers that have turned to the micro-blogging service.

He started using Twitter in October in a bid to reach more of the people that live along the streets he patrols in Starbeck, Harrogate.

For more details see Police open up to social media (BBC News: Technology).

Instant messenger v 2.0

2009-11-11T18:25:00.002Z

Google Wave is proving its worth in the scientific community, as one of the new collaboration tools which scientists are using to work together and conduct research.

See Strength in science collaboration (BBC News: Technology) for more details.

Blogging councillor leads to walkout

2009-11-04T17:19:00.002Z

Councillors in a rural town have staged a mass resignation after becoming tired of criticism from a blogger.

Ex-vice chairman Anthony Canvin said 11 of Somerton Town Council's 15 members resigned at a meeting on Tuesday.

On his Muck&Brass blog Niall Connolly called members "jackasses" and said a leaflet was "like a Nazi call to arms".

For more details see Blog sparks mass council walkout (BBC News: England).

Trade union Twitter survey findings

2009-10-28T15:48:00.002Z

As previously posted on this blog, LabourStart is looking at how trade unions can make use of Twitter.

The findings have now been published.

Key points:

A small but growing number of trade unionists use Twitter, though few are intensive users.

Only a tiny number use Twitter for trade union purposes.

Re-tweeting, the Twitter equivalent of forwarding an email, is not widely used.

Of all the other social networks, only Facebook is widely used and giant sites like MySpace and Bebo are off union members's radar.

Unions that do use Twitter are probably not very good at communicating this fact to members, as most did not know if their unions used Twitter.

Finally, there are considerable differences of opinion among union members online as to the value of Twitter.

Click here for more details.

Twitter and trade unions

2009-10-16T13:56:00.002Z

Labourstart is looking to find out if trade unionists and trade unions are making use of Twitter.

By clicking on the following link you can help Labourstart get an idea of whether trade union use of Twitter is widely used or not.

The findings should be interesting.

Dress codes in Cyberspace

2009-10-14T14:01:00.002Z

According to some research by Gartner and reported in an article from Computer Weekly, businesses should introduce online dress codes for Avatars used by their staff at work.

Why?

Avatars are creeping into business environments and will have far reaching implications for businesses, from policy to dress code, behaviour and computing platform requirements,

Garner predicts that by year-end 2013, 70 per cent of businesses will have behaviour guidelines and dress codes established for all employees who have avatars associated with the organisation.

For more information see Employers should have dress code for avatars says Gartner (Bill Goodwin).

Blog survey findings

2009-10-13T13:12:00.003Z

Videojug has just released some statistics on blogging.

Some details:

The results of the recent blogging survey are now in.

The responses from participants who own and run blogs produced some very interesting results across the 30 questions, which we’ve provided here as reference.

The blogosphere has experienced phenomenal growth in recent years, so it was interesting to learn more about why so many bloggers have decided to become active in the blogging world.

The overwhelming majority of new bloggers (nearly three quarters) choose to run their blogs for personal and non-commercial reasons.

Instead, the desire to help others by passing on their knowledge of their chosen expertise or skills seems to provide the main incentive for starting their blogs, as well as to write about particular hobbies that they are interested or active in.

Some very interesting and insightful results.

The full set of results can be viewed here.

Virtual protest placards

2009-10-05T10:19:00.003Z

While scanning the Guardian this morning I came across a rather novel campaign run by the main public service union - UNISON.

More details:

With pressure on all political parties to cut public spending, all sorts of local services could go missing.

Now is the time to defend the people who provide them.

Make a placard and add your voice to "Million Voices" - our campaign to build a fairer society and more sustainable economy based on social justice, good jobs and quality public services.

To add your support or just to get an insight into this new form of virtual protest click here.

Work-related blogs in the FT

2009-09-29T09:21:00.004Z

I've just come across an article that is about work-related/employee blogs in the Financial Times.

There is some confusion between blogs encouraged by employers that don't work out as planned and blogs that are started independently by employees, on their own time and using their own resources, that also end up in the headlines.

It doesn't tell us anything new, but it's nice to know that employe blogging activities continue to grab the attention of the media.

For more details see Cyber musings on the office are a risky strategy by Rhymer Rigby.

New work blogc-Going Public

2009-09-27T16:54:00.004Z

Every now and then I get asked to plug a new work-related blog and I'm always willing to help out.

The work blog is called Going Public.

Details of the blog:

I'm currently in my fifth year of working in a busy local authourity adult services department.

I have a degree in sociology behind me and a tendancy to talk , much to my colleagues despair, far too much about social policy and the politics of the welfare state.

This blog is an attempt to take the pressure off of them.

Please feel free to contribute your own views and opinions.

Blurring the boundaries between work and home

2009-09-24T21:00:00.003Z

An interesting article in The Guardian (G2) appeared yesterday that looked at how social media (i.e. Web 2.0) and mobile telephone technology is said to blur the boundaries between work and home.

The article, however, was set in the context of recent scandals of teachers prosecuted for having affairs with pupils - and how widespread use of email, texting and social networking sites is changing the nature of the teacher-pupil relationship.

What struck me was the following words from the article in questions:

Once upon a time, teachers simply did not exist outside school.

There was a fixed distance; a clear definition of roles; lines that should not and, more often than not, could not be crossed.

Now, contact outside the classroom is not only easier but, in many schools, actively encouraged – school web portals on which teachers and students can upload and download assignments, email each other questions and answers, post announcements and sometimes even chat in real time, are increasingly becoming the norm.

That fixed distance is shortening; those old boundaries – between professional and private, home and school, formal and informal – are blurring.

The article is mainly to do with assessing whether such behaviour may be more of a problem due to the changing nature of how and when teachers communicate with pupils, yet it does say quite a bit about how the advantages of new forms of communication must be carefully against the new risks that comes with it.

Such scandals are only one part of the story.

See Blurred boundaries for teachers by Jon Henley for more details.

Winner of TUC 60 second challenge

2009-09-18T00:01:00.000Z

Twitter while you trade

2009-09-17T06:39:00.002Z

According to an article in the Financial Times, stock traders are turning to Twitter to connect with other traders and learn a thing or two about how traders are now operating in these difficult and uncertain economic times.

Some details:

Twitter is resurrecting in cyberspace the teeming trading pits of yesteryear as traders sign up with the the social networking site to reconnect with global counterparts.

StockTwits is one of the most popular ways for traders to track relevant discussions on Twitter, including stock trends.

Traders tweet their opinions about a stock with its ticker and a dollar sign which is then picked up and displayed by StockTwits' own website.

About 90,000 people have signed up to the site, many of them day traders.

Some 15,000 actively contribute while the rest listen in.

See Twitter gives traders voice in virtual open outcry by Jeremy Grant and Tim Bradshaw.

Work blogger column in The Guardian

2009-09-15T16:23:00.003Z

According to today's Guardian (G2 section):

Dr Crippen is the pseudonym for a long-serving GP.

Every week he will bring us a first-hand account of what's really happening in the NHS.

Click here to see his first first-hand account based on the BMA and banning alcohol advertising.

The Lying Down Game

2009-09-10T08:14:00.004Z

There's nothing in the news about employees and Web 2.0 and then there's a flurry of activity.

On the BBC News website yesterday was an account of staff at Swindon's Great Western Hospital posting online pictures of themselves taking part in the "Lying Down Game".

More details:

Seven hospital staff have been suspended for their part in the game, played in mid August.

The game involves being pictured lying down with arms by your side and toes pointing towards the floor.

See some examples here.

See 'Lying down' NHS staff suspended.

Facebook and industrial action

2009-09-09T13:44:00.001Z

According to an article by Kat Baker at Personnel Today:

Unions are attempting to rally support from the wider community for major industrial disputes, including those at IBM and Fujitsu, by using social networking sites like Facebook, it has emerged.

For more details see Social networking sites used to rally support for industrial action.

Business and Web 2.0

2009-09-08T14:36:00.003Z

Web 2.0 technologies can be a powerful lure for an organization; their interactivity promises to bring more employees into daily contact at lower cost.

When used effectively, they also may encourage participation in projects and idea sharing, thus deepening a company's pool of knowledge.

They may bring greater scope and scale to organizations as well, strengthening bonds with customers and improving communications with suppliers and outside partners.

For more details and links to McKinsey report on business uses for Web 2.0 see How Companies Are Benefiting From Web 2.0 (Forbes).

Facebook misbehaviour

2009-09-07T18:19:00.001Z

Staff at shops owned by the Dixons Stores Group have been caught insulting customers on a social networking site.

An unofficial group, set up on Facebook for staff of DSG, featured comments from existing and former staff of the electronics retailer.

For more details see Gadget shoppers branded 'stupid' (BBC News: Technology).

Work blogging and business opportunities

2009-08-31T09:07:00.001Z

According to Huma Qureshi of The Guardian, "Blogging can be a way to air your feelings about your job, but if it clicks with the public's imagination it can lead to new business opportunities and book deals".

For more details see Bloggers are the authors of their own destiny.

Blacklisting blog

2009-08-10T19:13:00.003Z

I've just come across a very interesting blog dedicated to tackling the employer practice of 'blacklisting' - an underhand (and usually illegal) method of blocking the employment of workers judged by the employer to be a 'troublemaker'.

Details courtesy of the blog keeper:

This blog is dedicated to exposing blacklisting and blacklisters.

We work with unions and activists to fight for workers’ rights – and that means being able to stand up for health and safety without losing your job.

It is brought to you by Hazards, the only independent, union-friendly magazine to win major international awards.

Hazards recognises that workplace unions are your best hope for better, safer work.

For more details click here.

A HR practioner guide to social media

2009-07-25T10:58:00.002Z

If you are HR practitioner in the UK (perhaps further afield too) and want to know what is happening in the field of HR and social media, Web 2.0, etc. then read on...

Social media sites continue to soar in popularity and this is changing the way we communicate.

You can now engage with us on all the main social networking sites as well as on our home-grown and highly valued community discussion boards.

Read on for details of where to find us and how to join in.

For more details click here.

Autism and employment

2009-07-17T07:23:00.003Z

An area that I hope to move into in terms of research is the employment of adults with autistic spectrum disorders.

And how pleased I was to see this morning an article on the BBC News website on this very subject.

The article details a new venture right here in Scotland.

Some details:

Denmark which has made huge strides in employing workers with autism is expecting to begin work in the UK soon.

Specialisterne was started by a Danish man whose own son has autism.

Thorkil Sonne now employs more than 40 people with autism.

He is finalising plans to set up a branch in Glasgow in the coming months.

He hopes to hire 50 workers in the first three years of operating in Scotland.

See Why a firm wants staff with autism by Jane Dreaper for more details.