An Australian tribunal has found that unfriending a work colleague can constitute as workplace bullying.
According to the Telegraph the Fair Work Commission said that a woman who unfriended her colleague following a work dispute showed a “lack of emotional maturity” and was “indicative of unreasonable behaviour.”
Real estate agent sales administrator Lisa Bird reportedly unfriended property agent Rachel Roberts after she complained to the agency principal that her properties were not adequately displayed in the store window.
Mrs Bird, who is the wife of said principal, accused Ms Roberts of being a “naughty little school girl running to the teacher.”
After the incident Ms Roberts left the office crying and found out later that Mrs Bird had unfriended her on Facebook.
She claimed that she was bullied and suffered from depression and anxiety as a result. She also accused Mrs Bird of not delivering photocopies to her when handing them out to other staff.
The commission has issued an order to stop the bullying.
Legal experts say that the action of unfriending someone on Facebook does not in itself constitute as workplace bullying but that a pattern of behaviour, which includes the act of excluding, does.
