Northern Advocate
  • Northern Advocate home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei
  • Kaipara
  • Mangawhai
  • Dargaville

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northern Advocate / Business

Line drawn on online posts

By Nick Unkovich
Northern Advocate·
10 Aug, 2016 12:02 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Several respondents said they had been appalled by a colleague or boss' social media posts. Photo / Getty Images

Several respondents said they had been appalled by a colleague or boss' social media posts. Photo / Getty Images

Be careful what you say on Facebook, particularly if it's about work or your professional colleagues.

That's the general consensus on the Northern Advocate's Facebook page in response to a survey in which more than three-quarters of participants said they would never invite their boss to be a friend on Facebook or other social media sites.

The survey of about 600 Australian workers, by global staffing firm Adecco, showed many Australians were choosing not to befriend their boss or colleagues on social media for fear their comments could be used against them.

And, 21 per cent said they would not befriend workmates.

The results appear to be similar among Advocate Facebook readers who responded to our post.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Never, ever, ever, put anything on any form of social media that you would not be prepared to have published on the front page of your local or national newspaper," said Heather Carthew.

"I never post work stuff on Facebook. It's for social stuff, not to have a moan about people or work," Leanne Ross said.

Wanting to keep work and personal lives separate and fears of saying something embarrassing were two common explanations, according to the Adecco survey.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

In a surprising finding, the more digitally savvy generation Y workers were the least likely to invite their boss to be a friend on social media.

Fears their opinions and posts could affect their career prospects and concerns of being caught having time out with family or friends while on a sick day, were two of their biggest explanations.

One in four respondents said they had been appalled by a colleague or boss' social media posts.

And 1.6 million workers had regretted having colleagues as Facebook friends because of opinionated comments, racial slurs, and having information from posts used against them at work.

"The survey is an interesting insight into the changing workplace dynamics between co-workers, with social media now having a major impact on how relationships and opinions are formed, both with our friends and our colleagues," said Lindsey Monroe Ruth, Head of Marketing at the Adecco Group Australia & New Zealand.

- If you have any business news or tips contact: biz@northernadvocate.co.nz or call 09 470 2838.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Business

Northern Advocate

Insulation rule changes could cut $15k from new build costs

Northern Advocate

Consumer NZ calls for action on 'shrinkflation' amid rising concerns

Northern Advocate

'It's security': Push for KiwiSaver access to aid young farmers


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Business

Insulation rule changes could cut $15k from new build costs
Northern Advocate

Insulation rule changes could cut $15k from new build costs

Northland builders welcome changes to insulation rules, easing building costs.

13 Jul 04:00 AM
Consumer NZ calls for action on 'shrinkflation' amid rising concerns
Northern Advocate

Consumer NZ calls for action on 'shrinkflation' amid rising concerns

03 Jul 05:00 PM
'It's security': Push for KiwiSaver access to aid young farmers
Northern Advocate

'It's security': Push for KiwiSaver access to aid young farmers

27 Jun 05:00 PM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northern Advocate e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Northern Advocate
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northern Advocate
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP