In one of the first cases of its kind, LinkedIn seems to have been successful in putting someone out of a job, instead of helping them move up in their career.
When human resource executive John Flexman, 34, started to look around for new job opportunities, he took to professional networking site Linkedin to increase his profile.
He uploaded his CV and ticked the option “interested in career opportunities” like many curious employees interested in the job market.
However after his employers at BG group saw his profile, he was contacted on holiday and on his return, became locked in a dispute that ended in constructive dismissal from his £68,000 year job.
Flexman is now taking the gas exploration company to court to claim thousands in compensation in one of the first constructive dismissal cases that involves Linkedin.
BG Group claim that they introduced a new company policy instructing employees not to tick the “career opportunities” box. By ticking that box, Flexman had committed “inappropriate use of social media.” Additionally the FTSE listed company claim that his CV disclosed private details of the company’s structure.
Flexman claims that he was forced to resign because his CV was uploaded rather than because he ticked the career opportunities box. and refutes the claim that any untoward details were revealed on his résumé.
It is an interesting issue for the eight million users of the professional network in the UK, many of whom browse the site for job postings and connect with potential employers.
“We welcome the opportunity to present our case at the tribunal, the appropriate forum," a spokesman for BG Group said.
"We will defend our position but do not wish to pre-empt the tribunal’s ruling by commenting further."
The hearing at Reading Crown Court continues.