UK Executive 'Forced Out of Job' For Posting CV Online

First time accepted submitter sweetpea86 writes "An executive who uploaded his CV to LinkedIn was forced to quit his job because he ticked a box stating he was interested in 'career opportunities'. John Flexman is demanding hundreds of thousands of pounds in compensation from his former employer, gas exploration firm BG Group, where he earned £68,000 pounds a year as a Graduate and Development Manager. He is thought to be the first person in the UK to bring a case for constructive dismissal. The case highlights a grey area around employees' use of social networks such as LinkedIn. According to Kate Hodgkiss, Partner at law firm DLA Piper, employers have every right to seek to protect confidential company information by restricting LinkedIn and other profiles, but cannot prevent employees from looking for a new job. The news echoes a report in December that a Californian Twitter user was being sued for $340,000 by his former employer for taking his online followers with him when he switched jobs. PhoneDog launched legal proceedings against Noah Kravitz, seeking damages of $2.50 a month per follower for eight months."

Comments

Over-reaching

[alphatel]

If employers can post openings for your position on job sites, you can certainly check a box indicating general interest in careers-at-large.

Re:Over-reaching

[tysonedwards]

I can be "interested" in something like Career Opportunities without having a dissatisfaction with my current job, or a desire to leave.

Frankly, I find a lot of things interesting.
The idea that such an interest could get me fired is very disconcerting.

Re:Over-reaching

[bws111]

And if you see your employer posted your position on a job site, you are free to terminate your employment, are you not?

Re:Over-reaching

[gorzek]

Many salaried positions actually forbid you from engaging in other work without the company's permission. The idea is that if you are being paid salary, you are on the clock 24/7, so technically you shouldn't be working for anyone else.

(My employer has no such policy, fortunately. But my previous one did.)

You never say you aren't interested

[Tekfactory]

I have a small network of friends and associates on LinkedIn, they know I am happy where I am at, but I always listen to new opportunities that's how I got where I am. Ususally I will pass on the info to someone else I know that's looking.

However if you never listen to opportunities, people never think of you as someone to talk to about them.

When the time comes that you need a job, your network has withered and you're stuck looking at official postings, half of which are already wired for a certain candidate but have to be announced for legal reasons.

You know what's also a career opportunity?

[MikeRT]

1. Getting contacted by an executive at another company for a joint venture.
2. Getting a new degree.
3. Getting contacted by an investor.

This is as ridiculous as firing someone for racism because they put "enjoys participating Civil War reenactments" on their Facebook page.

Re:Executive's job search could be construed harmf

[Anonymous Coward]

In a company like BG on £68k/annum he's not an important executive. Having worked for them for several years (but not since 2002) I know from the pay/job title that he's upper middle management. Also when it comes to customers then BG isn't a typical corporation. They have a monopoly on the UK's gas/electric infrastructure although they do also work with other firms in projects for things like natural gas exploration. I'd be amazed if this isn't about managment cliques, he wasn't popular with one, they went digging for dirt, they found his profile, and they've tried to use that to shaft him. With any luck it's about to backfire quite spectacularly.