Is social media status a sufficient reason for employers to fire their employees? The Malaysian Industrial Court yesterday found AirAsia guilty of firing Hyffny Yusof, a flight attendant, for a social media post that allegedly insulted the company. He was awarded RM31,920 in compensation for being fired in 2023 over a social media post criticising the company’s management after the flight crew was stranded for 12 hours.
The post was uploaded by Hyffny Yusof on Facebook and Instagram but could only be seen by a group of his close friends. The court found that the post did not damage the company’s reputation, was not made while on duty and was not serious misconduct. The use of the word “idiot” for certain executives was inappropriate but ruled that dismissal was too harsh a punishment.
The court also ruled that AirAsia’s social media policy was so broad that it interfered with the right to privacy and freedom of expression at work. The industrial court’s ruling clearly states that you can make social media posts about your employer as long as they are only visible to a small group of users and not cloud posts.
