What’s the scenario.
Jeremy is a CIMA member working as an Assistant Commercial Finance Manager for a large multinational professional services firm. One evening, while scrolling through social media via his account ‘@JeremyTheAcc1985’, Jeremy sees that Raymond, a work colleague, has posted a frustrated rant online about a recent company decision to cut costs. While Raymond has not shared any confidential information, the post could allow for someone reading it to infer that redundancies were about to be initiated. Raymond is unhappy about the rumoured redundancies and lack of transparency. The post is deeply critical of senior management. Jeremy is aware that redundancies are being discussed but knows that a decision has not yet been made.
The post starts getting attention—some colleagues like it, others comment in agreement with its sentiment, and a few external people have chimed in too. The company’s name is not mentioned outright, but it is not hard to figure out who Raymond is talking about as he mentions his employer in the bio of his profile. Another colleague of Jeremy’s quotes Raymond’s post and links Jeremy into the post; commenting “@JeremyTheAcc1985 - You work for the same company as Ray. What do you think of all this?”
Now Jeremy is in a dilemma. Should he respond? Report it to someone in senior management? Should he ignore it? Speak to Raymond and ask him to take it down? After all, he sympathises with Raymond’s views. Also, while it is Raymond’s personal account, Jeremy knows that it could reflect badly on the company and could get Raymond in trouble. Jeremy is conscious that if he ignores it, then it may look as if there is something to hide. Equally, he does not want to lie. However, he also does not want to add fuel to the fire. The post seeking Jeremy’s response has started to gain more attention as the original post has started to go viral.
What should Jeremy do?
Understanding the ethical Issues and supporting guidance
Social media can be extremely difficult to navigate. Relative to human history, social media is in its infancy and society as a whole is still grappling with how to manage it. These challenges grow more and more complex, especially with the proliferation of commercially available generative AI software and the blurring of people’s private and public online personas. Therefore, members should be incredibly careful when using social media.
The fundamental principle of Confidentiality within the CIMA Code of Ethics states that you must not “disclose confidential information acquired as a result of professional and business relationships outside the firm or employing organisation without proper and specific authority, unless there is a legal or professional duty or right to disclose” (R114.1(d)).
As a management accountant, Jeremy is likely to have access to information that is not publicly available and so must be sure not to share this information without appropriate authorisation.
A private social media account used in a personal capacity can still prompt allegations of misconduct. Anything posted on a social media platform can be captured in a screenshot and provided as evidence of alleged misconduct by those who may have concerns about its contents. So even though you may have posted on a private account, this does not mean the post itself will stay private. Afterall, social media platforms are a public forum, even if your profile is private. Jeremy should be incredibly careful posting or responding to anything on social media, especially where it relates to his job or where his association with his employer is easily identifiable.
Many employers have begun to include clauses in employment contracts or have a specific social media policy which directs what conduct is or is not permissible online. Jeremy may consider familiarising himself with any such policies.
Even in the absence of a social media policy, Jeremy should be cautious about discussing his employer on social media, as it could make the situation worse. He should consider how an exchange of this nature going viral could impact his company, but also the reputation of the management accounting profession. How would the public perceive a CIMA member potentially breaching confidentiality while being openly critical of their employer? Is this someone you would trust as your accountant with your private financial information?
A professional accountant should avoid behaviour that is likely to bring the profession into disrepute. Jeremy should consider whether posting in response to this could make either himself or others appear unprofessional. Afterall, the behaviour of a member in their personal life can bring themselves, and the profession, into disrepute.
It must be said that disciplinary action does not result from reasonable comment or opinions. Jeremy’s status as a member does not remove his freedom of speech. Instead, as a professional accountant, there is an added responsibility that comes with it. Members are after all, expected to abide by the highest ethical standards, and are expected to uphold these standards at all times. Your association with your profession does not stop when you finish work at the end of the day.
Jeremy may wish to consider speaking with his company’s external relations team, press team and/or reputation team if any such exist. In occasion such as these, particularly where a post is going viral, he should appreciate that any comment he makes has a bearing on his employer. Accordingly, his employer may have a policy in place for when they receive viral attention online.
Beyond that, Jeremy should keep in mind that it is common for people online to find themselves in a heated debate on polarised topics of conversation. It is important that he does not lose sight of himself and his standards when engaging with others. Raymond is clearly unhappy and has taken to social media to air his grievances. That does not mean that Jeremy must do the same. It only takes a few seconds to post a comment, but the aftereffects of doing so can last for much much longer.