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SALT LAKE CITY -- Fifty-seven percent of all bosses surveyed say they're uncomfortable being "friended" on social media sites by the people they manage.
Some attorneys say any bosses who want to become online friends with their workers need to be careful they don't put themselves in a bad position.
Even outside of the workplace, a boss can accidentally create a hostile work environment by how he interacts with his employees online about their race, religion or gender. Even just making rude comments can make an employee uncomfortable.
Heidi Leithead with Parr, Brown Gee and Loveless said, "Some of that conduct may violate an employer's anti-bullying policy and could create some difficulty if the employer didn't step in and take action."
Leithead says when a boss becomes too close to a subordinate, it can make it difficult to enforce any discipline.
"Frequently, the employee sees that as a betrayal of the friendship," she said.
It could also cause a morale problem if employees feel the boss has a stronger friendship with one particular employee.
E-mail: pnelson@ksl.com
