A recent ruling by Nunavut’s information and privacy commissioner has raised concerns over the use of messaging apps like WhatsApp for conducting official business.
The case involved a Department of Education employee who requested records after a fallout with senior management. In response, the department provided nearly 1,500 heavily redacted pages, prompting a review by the privacy commissioner.
The commissioner found that the use of WhatsApp by senior officials undermines transparency, as the messages aren’t stored on government servers, making record-keeping difficult.
In an interview with HR Reporter (link below), I underscore how these apps can blur the boundaries between professional and personal communication.
Group chats on platforms like WhatsApp often lead to informal and unprofessional conversations, where employees feel they are in a “safe space” but may engage in inappropriate behaviour.
“The kinds of inappropriate and borderline harassing comments that happen on these would just be rampant and common, because it feels like everyone’s in a friends’ group, and they’re actually in the workplace.”
When managers fail to step in, assuming these chats are informal, employers can be held liable if misconduct arises.
I also point out that retrieving data from these apps can be challenging, particularly when messages are not stored properly.
“It all becomes extremely cumbersome for gathering evidence, whereas email tools are meant to be archived and stored — it’s easy to see the back and forth, all the dates and date stamps are there.”
To mitigate these risks, I recommend employers establish clear guidelines in their code of conduct regarding the use of external messaging platforms, ensuring that all communication—whether formal or informal — falls under workplace conduct policies.
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