It has been a while since we covered social media in a serious context in the update. Usually it is part of the lighter side of the news section due to the outrageous things that ended up being posted. In the past this has included sharing a rival butcher’s meat offer, tweeting about Donald Trump and bragging about illegal parking.

This week however, we bring a serious point about posting confidential company information online through the medium of football. Three Brighton and Hove Albion FC grounds staff were dismissed after it was found that they leaked team news on social media before a game.

Now, team news is often speculated both on and offline. However, given Premier League status is worth approximately £100 million per year and an additional £2 million for finishing one position higher in the league, you can see why the club did not take kindly to staff potentially jeopardising that income stream by leaking the teams line-up. Especially in a year when Brighton were nearly relegated!

Applying it to a wider scale, employers who have valuable company information or intellectual property will need to consider if their disciplinary policies cover employees sharing confidential information online.