'If a company clearly communicates its culture and values at the outset, employees will not be caught by surprise,’ says employment lawyer offering tips for HR
23 Apr 2025
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Incidents that unfold far from the boardroom are knocking on HR’s door. Bar‑room scuffles, viral rants and divisive online posts can all feed public perception before any internal memo circulates.
For employers, the question is no longer whether private conduct matters, but how fast it turns into reputational and legal risk that demands a response.
Recently, a Tesla manager’s firing after he criticised Elon Musk on LinkedIn spread like wildfire in a matter of hours, proving that a single off‑duty post can derail both career and corporate image.
To explore how Singapore employers can meet that urgency, HRD Asia spoke with Celeste Ang, Principal in the Dispute Resolution and Employment practice groups at Baker McKenzie. Wong & Leow.
“Generally, the more senior employees are held to a higher standard, and what they do, even if it’s out of work, reflects on the organisation,” Ang says.
Executive contracts, therefore, forbid conduct that could “bring the company into disrepute,” no matter where it occurs, she says.
Social platforms intensify that expectation.
“Nowadays, everybody turns to social media for everything,” Ang says, so one careless video can lead the public to question whether the employer condones the behaviour.
In such an environment, every...
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