The Fair Work Commission recent decision has certainly encouraged a great deal of discussion with people and making people think before they accept any future friend requests on Facebook.

It has always been my philosophy not to friend work colleagues outside my immediate HR team while at a company, unless I have developed a long term friendship with someone.

It is a challenging balance trying to foster positive working relationships while not going beyond that professional line. I have certainly learnt that the hard way, unfortunately, losing friendships along the way throughout my career due to the balance.

Working and living in an isolated and remote locations challenge that balance everyday because one day you may be having dinner with a ‘friend’ and the next day you are in discussions about their unsatisfactory performance which blurs the professional lines.

Facebook allows and disadvantages people at times because they express how they are feeling at a point in time which can impact and adversely affect friendships and working relationships and can even result in termination of employment and potential employment in the future.

My advice. Only ‘friend’ someone on Facebook that is a ‘true friend’ and not someone that you work together with.