Can I add coworkers on LinkedIn?
October 7, 2014 11:22 AM Subscribe
In my new job, there is a clause in the contract which says "you must not signal on your professional networking profiles that you work for company name".
Would adding colleagues count as signalling that I work for the company?
In my new job, there is a clause in the contract which says "you must not signal on your professional networking profiles that you work for company name".
I take this to mean I am not allowed to put the name of the company on my profile. I have listed my position but I just put a dash in the company name so there is no reference to it.
I am covering for someone on maternity leave so I am keen to network as this is only a temporary role.
Would adding colleagues count as signalling that I work for the company?
In my new job, there is a clause in the contract which says "you must not signal on your professional networking profiles that you work for company name".
I take this to mean I am not allowed to put the name of the company on my profile. I have listed my position but I just put a dash in the company name so there is no reference to it.
I am covering for someone on maternity leave so I am keen to network as this is only a temporary role.
Would adding colleagues count as signalling that I work for the company?
Response by poster: Just to clarify, I think this only applies to me as I am temporary. Other colleagues are allowed to list the company on their LinkedIn profiles.
posted by iamsuper at 11:26 AM on October 7, 2014
posted by iamsuper at 11:26 AM on October 7, 2014
No, this does not count as signaling - it's fine for you to add them. When you add them you'll be asked to list how you know them; don't put "worked together at COMPANY." Put something else vague and generic.
Rather than a dash, consider if you might put a descriptive phrase. i.e. "A large regional publishing company." or "A national service non-profit." or "A leading Chicago-area real estate development company." or whatever. I've seen that and I think it's better than a dash.
posted by amaire at 11:27 AM on October 7, 2014 [10 favorites]
Rather than a dash, consider if you might put a descriptive phrase. i.e. "A large regional publishing company." or "A national service non-profit." or "A leading Chicago-area real estate development company." or whatever. I've seen that and I think it's better than a dash.
posted by amaire at 11:27 AM on October 7, 2014 [10 favorites]
I would ask someone you work for to be sure. I've never heard of a company having this rule and if you want to use their employees as a professional reference it's best to be absolutely sure you're abiding by what they've asked of you.
posted by something something at 11:32 AM on October 7, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by something something at 11:32 AM on October 7, 2014 [1 favorite]
We cannot decide this for you. Clarify with your HR department. Do not act on advice given here. Seek clarification from the people who made the policy.
posted by boo_radley at 11:38 AM on October 7, 2014 [19 favorites]
posted by boo_radley at 11:38 AM on October 7, 2014 [19 favorites]
I'm assuming this is an issue of being clear that you are a temporary contractor rather than an employee. It may be fine to mention the company name as long as you're clear in your role description that you are there on contract rather than permanently. The best person to ask this question is going to be someone in HR at the company. (Or your contact at your contracting house if you're coming to them through an agency.)
posted by jacquilynne at 11:39 AM on October 7, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by jacquilynne at 11:39 AM on October 7, 2014 [2 favorites]
Talk to HR not us. I don't think the dash to prevent the position from 'linking' to the company's profile on LI is enough. Talk to HR.
posted by Buttons Bellbottom at 11:50 AM on October 7, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Buttons Bellbottom at 11:50 AM on October 7, 2014 [1 favorite]
It says "signal", not "state". It could be inferred from your network where you're working, especially since your colleagues can put the company name in their profiles.
Don't do it.
posted by jingzuo at 12:06 PM on October 7, 2014 [1 favorite]
Don't do it.
posted by jingzuo at 12:06 PM on October 7, 2014 [1 favorite]
Best answer: it's PROBABLY fine to add them - the typical restriction is that they don't want you to say you work at X company, since it implies you are an employee and there are ramifications to that. They will probably also ask you to specify on your resume that you were placed at X company by Y staffing agency rather than just saying you worked at X company.
But I agree that there could be outlier cases (security? highly secretive companies?) where this could be a different rule; better to be safe than sorry.
posted by fingersandtoes at 1:01 PM on October 7, 2014
But I agree that there could be outlier cases (security? highly secretive companies?) where this could be a different rule; better to be safe than sorry.
posted by fingersandtoes at 1:01 PM on October 7, 2014
I'd get with HR. If it's in the rules, they are SUPER fussy about it.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 1:06 PM on October 7, 2014
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 1:06 PM on October 7, 2014
Unless I'm missing something, I don't think this would signal that you work there. The majority of contacts on my LinkedIn are people I've never worked with. But ask HR to be safe.
posted by Enchanting Grasshopper at 3:36 PM on October 7, 2014
posted by Enchanting Grasshopper at 3:36 PM on October 7, 2014
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by crocomancer at 11:24 AM on October 7, 2014