“Chat” Happens at Work – Group Chats, Social Media, and Gossip

Author: Sabrina Anis, Funmilola Ayotunde, and Sophie Toor
Current to: April 2026

What happens in the group chat doesn’t always stay in the group chat.

Now available through CLEBC’s Courses on Demand, our latest Practice Point, “‘Chat’ Happens at Work – Group Chats, Social Media, and Gossip,” explores the increasingly blurred line between employees’ personal and professional lives in an era of group chats, direct messages, social media, and other online interactions.

Prepared by Sabrina Anis (Roper Greyell LLP), Funmilola Ayotunde (Assistant Professor, Faculty of Law, UVic), and Sophie Toor (Anita Atwal Law Corporation) for CLEBC’s Employment Law Conference 2026, this paper examines the legal issues that can arise when workplace conversations move online.

From gossip and venting to rumours and more serious misconduct, online interactions can raise important questions about employer liability, workplace investigations, privacy rights, and discipline. This paper explores how employers may discover and respond to employee conduct online and reviews developing case law on social media misconduct in the workplace.

Whether the conversation takes place in a group chat, a direct message, or a social media post, this Practice Point offers valuable guidance for navigating the evolving realities of workplace communication.

Access it now and get up to speed on what happens when work chat goes online.

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