Facebook groups and Twitter chats seemed, with a few sensible precautions, like not posting photographs of your charges, an ideal way to connect. It’s friendlier, it’s more authentic, people use their real names. Until recently, that’s what I would have said.

So what changed?

Nannies are losing their jobs over things that they think they’ve said supposedly in confidence on Facebook. They’re being turned away from agencies for ‘unprofessional behaviour’, been banned from childcare job search sites and followed across social media networks for the world to see. What we have to ask ourselves now before posting what we may think is a harmless private comment is ‘is it worth risking your job, and even your career?’

Social media isn’t virtual. You may never have met the people that you’re talking to but they are still real people. What you say there has an impact on the here and now. It affects your professional life, as well as your personal one, and your name and personal information are forever attached to what you say online unlike the words you speak out loud to a friend. It’s very difficult to disassociate your personal and your professional opinions when you’re chatting to people you think you know well, even if that’s just an illusion. Closed and secret Facebook groups aren’t secure. Locking your Twitter profile isn’t a guarantee either. As hard as people may try to keep non-nannies out, there are always some who will slip through the net, and someone can always screenshot what you say.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that I’m suggesting you delete all your social media profiles this instant. I’m not. There are still many excellent, open pages that don’t pretend to be secure and you probably have real life friends you like to chat to, or celebrities you love to follow, but it may not be the best place to seek advice – you never know who’s reading.

So here are my new rules for social media:

If you wouldn’t say it into a microphone at a crowded real-life nanny event then don’t say it on Facebook, even in a closed group
Take additional precautions in groups or chats run by a nanny related business. Anything you say can be used as evidence against you.
Don’t agree to meet anyone you only know from social media in a private place – this includes job advertisements too.
Take everything you read with a pinch of salt and ask for links so you can verify the information yourself. Other people’s experience may not be the best indicator and opinions are like …. well, you can finish that for yourself but everyone has one.
Be yourself. You are a whole person with a life outside nannying, with your own opinions, interests and experiences, and you can’t comfortably reduce yourself to only talking about your job!

If you are having problems at work then don’t suffer in silence. You can contact the BAPN by phone or email for personal, professional support or look at the information and guidance they publish on their website.

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