Stuart Neilson, an employment partner at McGrigors, has issued a warning to employers that internet use at work could lead to a "negative culture" in the workplace if abused.

Last week's dismissal of an employee who described her employers as "boring" on Facebook illustrates the dangers.

“The capacity and limitations of sites such as Facebook and Bebo are not yet fully known and the business community must adapt with changing times. In the right way these sites can be used as valuable business tools to establish new contacts and forms of communication, particularly with a younger and more-technologically aware workforce," he said.

"There is a fine line to be struck by employers – on the one hand empowering employees to harness new technology and use these sites in an unprecedented manner for business development. However, this trust must not be misplaced to the detriment of corporate image or loss of valuable working time due to personal internet use.

“With this in mind, employees still need to be given the freedom to act responsibly, as they would around the watercooler or over a glass of wine after work. It will lead to a Big Brother situation if an employee can’t comment in anyway adversely about their workplace. Ms Swann’s employer wasn't named on the Facebook site, and her relatively junior position meant she wouldn’t have been readily associated with the company and brought them into disrepute by making that comment.

“In a challenging climate when corporate and consumer reputations are paramount, businesses are finding it increasingly difficult to conceal bad employment practices – and quite rightly. Employers with dubious practices are learning that this is no longer tolerated and that stories of disgruntled employees can be spread further, quicker, and with greater ease.”