An employee’s post put the brand at risk
An employee’s post has put the brand in a difficult position. This crisis type differs from the others: the source is not outside but inside. 🏠
And that makes it harder to manage — because you must think about the brand, the team and the person at the same time.
Short answer: separate the incident from the person. The public response addresses the incident; anything concerning the individual runs internally. ⚖️
Which type of crisis?
BU BÖLÜMÜN ÖZETİ
- A personal post
- Behaviour towards a customer
- Internal information sharing
- A departing employee’s account
Four types; handled separately. 🔍
A personal post
Made from the employee’s own account, unrelated to the brand but attributed to it. 📱
Behaviour towards a customer
An incident in store, on the phone or in messages that was recorded. The most direct damage. 🗣️
Internal information sharing
Pricing, process or customer information leaving the company. It carries both reputational and legal weight. 🔐
A departing employee’s account
What someone who has left writes publicly. True and untrue may be intertwined. 🚪
The first 24 hours
BU BÖLÜMÜN ÖZETİ
- Verify
- Protect the person
- Respond to the incident
- Inform the team
The order matters. ⏱️
Verify
Is the recording genuine, what is the context? A reply given on incomplete information cannot be taken back. 🔍
Protect the person
You do not release the employee’s name, photo or details to the public. That is both right and a legal requirement. 🛡️
Respond to the incident
“This conduct does not match our working principles and we are reviewing it.” Short and clear. 📢
Inform the team
If the team learns of it from social media, a second crisis starts inside. 👥
What is said and not said
BU BÖLÜMÜN ÖZETİ
- Said: the principle
- Said: the process
- Not said: personnel action
- Not said: defence
The balance is struck here. 🗣️
Said: the principle
The brand’s stance is stated clearly. This is the real message to customers. ✅
Said: the process
Saying “we have started a review” is enough; you are not obliged to announce the outcome. 🔎
Not said: personnel action
Dismissal or disciplinary decisions are not made public. That is the individual’s employment right. 🚫
Not said: defence
“They didn’t really mean it” prolongs the crisis; correcting context is one thing, defending is another. ⚖️
What happens internally
BU BÖLÜMÜN ÖZETİ
- Talk to the person
- Restate the rule
- Train the team
- Separate the legal dimension
Directed at the team, not the public. 🏠
Talk to the person
Listen first. Responding publicly while never having listened is the second mistake. 👤
Restate the rule
Is the social media and customer communication rule written? An unwritten rule cannot be applied. 📄
Train the team
Not punishment but explanation through the example. One meeting after a crisis prevents a repeat. 🎓
Separate the legal dimension
Where there is a leak or abuse, the process runs with a lawyer. ⚖️
What is set up beforehand
BU BÖLÜMÜN ÖZETİ
- A one-page rule
- Name a spokesperson
- Account access
- Exit conversations
Not during a crisis. 🛡️
A one-page rule
What employees may and may not do in the brand’s name. Five lines suffice. 📄
Name a spokesperson
Who speaks for the brand? Ambiguity makes everyone a spokesperson; the structure sits in the who protects the brand guide. 🎤
Account access
A departing employee’s access closes the same day. The most commonly skipped concrete measure. 🔑
Exit conversations
Well-ended departures markedly reduce public accounts afterwards. 🤝
What should I do today?
BU BÖLÜMÜN ÖZETİ
- Step 1: write the rule
- Step 2: name the spokesperson
- Step 3: build the access list
- If you want help
Three steps, one day. 🪜
Step 1: write the rule
Five lines: speaking for the brand, customer information, internal information. One page. 📄
Step 2: name the spokesperson
Who speaks in a crisis and who does not? A name is written. 🎤
Step 3: build the access list
Which account sits with whom? What closes on departure is listed. 🔑
If you want help
Let us set up your crisis rules and spokesperson structure: use the consult your expert form. For your digital assets see the brand digital audit; the whole sits on the brand consulting page. 🎯
Related reading from the archive: employer branding · employee communication.
📝 Notes From the Field
A recording of an employee treating a customer badly spread online. The first draft statement targeted the individual; it was rewritten. What went out stated only the brand’s principle and that a review had begun. The personnel action was never announced and the discussion closed within two days.
📖 Short Glossary
Spokesperson: the single person authorised to speak for the brand in a crisis. Principle statement: the short text expressing the brand’s stance. Access list: the table showing which account sits with whom. Exit conversation: the closing discussion held when someone leaves.
⚡ Quick Summary
In an internal crisis, the incident and the person are separated. 🏠 In the first 24 hours you verify, protect the person, respond briefly to the incident and inform the team. The public hears the principle and the process, never the personnel action. Prevention is a one-page rule, a spokesperson and an access list.
🎯 Next Step
Let us set up your crisis rules and spokesperson structure: use the consult your expert form. Crisis language sits in the what to say guide; for an asset sweep see the brand digital audit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sık Sorulan Sorular
No. Personnel actions are not made public; doing so can breach both employment rights and personal data obligations. What is said publicly is the brand’s principle.
Personal accounts are the employee’s own space; however, setting written rules on speaking for the brand, sharing customer information and leaking internal data is the employer’s right.
Make one calm correction and do not enter an argument. Where there is serious, provable damage, the process runs with a lawyer and away from the public eye.