Tech

Should you message your boss on Facebook?

Published

3 years ago

August 17, 2022

A U.S. court has ruled it acceptable for employees to use social media messaging platforms to send workplace requests to employers.

A unanimous ruling at a Virginia Court found that a worker who used Facebook Messenger to seek emergency medical leave from their employer was well within their rights to do.

This is despite it contravening company policy.

The matter was escalated to court when the employer refused to accept this form of communication, and later fired to employee for job abandonment.

On appeal, the court found that the employee had used Facebook Messenger in the past to communicate with their employer about workplace matters.

This established a mode of communication as both acceptable and relevant on this platform.

The original policy denying the use of Facebook Messenger as an official form of communication was overturned.

The outcome of this case has set an interesting precedent in terms of internal communication policies and procedures within workplaces.

Some workplaces already use Facebook’s Workplace platform as an official internal collaborative space, where it is acceptable for employees and employers to communicate.

However, other organisations have what could be described as official and unofficial communication channels.

Official and unofficial channels

Organisational policies, procedures and processes may clearly state what the official channels are (e.g. email) when employees are communicating with employers.

This can be in relation to confidential matters and issues relating to their employment, such as applying for sick leave.

However, they can fail to capture the everyday ‘unofficial’ communication taking place on social media channels between employers and employees.

The outcome of this ruling sends a clear message to employers about responding to employees via ‘unofficial’ social media channels like Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp.

This recent decision has proven that social media can be considered as official in the eyes of the law. It’s most likely going to become a more common channel as the world of social media continues to grow.

Internal policies must be reflective of the communication channels being used within organisations or employers must adhere to their own policies to ensure they are also upheld by the entire workplace.

Report by Dr. Karen Sutherland, University of the Sunshine Coast and Dharana Digital

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Dr Karen Sutherland

Dr Karen Sutherland is a Senior Lecturer at the University of the Sunshine Coast where she designs and delivers social media education and research. Dr Sutherland is also the Co-Founder and Social Media Specialist at Dharana Digital marketing agency focused on helping people working in the health and wellness space.

Tech

SpaceX shifts focus to Moon with ambitious Lunar City plans

Elon Musk shifts SpaceX focus from Mars to a 2027 Moon landing, merging with xAI for AI satellite networks.

Published

20 hours ago

February 10, 2026

Harvey Vargas

Elon Musk shifts SpaceX focus from Mars to a 2027 Moon landing, merging with xAI for AI satellite networks.

Elon Musk has set his sights closer to home—literally. SpaceX is now prioritizing the creation of a self-sustaining city on the Moon within the next decade. The ambitious plan marks a major shift from previous Mars-focused strategies, aiming for an uncrewed Starship landing as early as 2027 to support NASA’s Artemis program.

This pivot comes as SpaceX merges with Musk’s xAI, combining the companies into a massive $1.25 trillion valuation. Musk believes the Moon offers practical advantages for launches, making it a more strategic stepping stone for humanity’s future in space.

Alongside lunar ambitions, SpaceX is also developing satellite networks to back AI technologies in orbit. Despite the excitement, NASA’s Artemis program has faced delays, pushing the first crewed lunar flight to March due to technical issues.

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Tech

Claude AI is transforming software engineering and productivity

Anthropic’s Claude AI now manages coding tasks, boosting productivity by 50% as engineers shift to oversight roles.

Published

2 days ago

February 9, 2026

Harvey Vargas

Anthropic’s Claude AI now manages coding tasks, boosting productivity by 50% as engineers shift to oversight roles.

Anthropic has confirmed that its AI, Claude, now handles almost all coding tasks at the company. Engineers are shifting from writing code to oversight and planning, marking a major change in how software development teams operate.

Users report a productivity boost of 50 percent since implementing Claude, highlighting the potential of AI to reshape workflows and day-to-day operations. The shift raises questions about the balance between human oversight and automated code generation.

The move has also affected markets, with shares of Indian IT services companies falling as investors assess the impact on traditional tech roles. Industry leaders stress that while AI can generate code, human input remains crucial for design, review, and strategic decision-making.

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Tech

OpenAI and Anthropic launch faster, smarter AI tools for enterprise coding

OpenAI and Anthropic launch advanced coding models, revolutionizing enterprise software development and intensifying the AI tooling competition.

Published

5 days ago

February 6, 2026

Harvey Vargas

OpenAI and Anthropic launch advanced coding models, revolutionising enterprise software development and intensifying the AI tooling competition.

OpenAI and Anthropic have unveiled powerful new AI coding models aimed at transforming enterprise software development. GPT-5.3 Codex operates 25% faster than its predecessor, tackling complex tasks and following real-time directions without losing context.

Claude Opus 4.6 introduces ‘agent teams’, allowing multiple AI agents to work on tasks simultaneously. The update also includes a one-million-token context window, enabling large volumes of text and code to be processed in a single prompt.

GitHub now supports multiple coding agents, letting developers compare AI approaches on the same problems. Both OpenAI and Anthropic are pushing for enterprise adoption, highlighting the potential for professional applications across industries.

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