Instant messaging programmes like QQ or MSN are commonly used in the workplace. They allow colleagues to communicate with each other without having to walk around the office. But one should be aware of the information and messages one puts in an online profile. It is best to have two separate accounts - for work and private use.
Dayton He, 33, a senior copywriter, got into trouble with messages he put in his profile.
He and his boss are soccer fans. Dayton supports Manchester City and his boss supports Chelsea. A recent match in which Manchester City beat Chelsea prompted He to say in a message in his profile that Manchester City are a rising power while Chelsea are on their way down.
But He realised that after he made such comments online, his proposals were always rejected by his boss. Before long, he found out the reason from his boss' assistant. 'My boss thought that I not only wanted my team to win against his but I also wanted to challenge his position,' He says. 'So he constantly turned down my ideas.'
Sophie Xie, a human resources assistant from a commodity company, says many HR directors like to judge employees' attitudes through their instant messaging (IM) profiles. 'My routine task is to check their profiles,' she says. 'Although there are only a few words, we can speculate on employees' feelings, and it becomes part of staff assessment.'
To prevent such things happening, Xue Wen, an employee at a cosmetics company, says one should separate one's work and personal IM profiles. 'You can have two accounts, one for the workplace and the other for personal use.'