Advisers are being urged to update their employment policies to stress the professional consequences of involvement in cyber bullying, after allegations were made against a former director of L&C Mortgages.
Bath Rugby player Freddie Burns alleged Patrick John Bunton made a series of attacks against him on social media site Twitter.
On Tuesday (24 April), the Daily Telegraph published an article detailing the abuse that Mr Burns had suffered online and how his family were forced to track down the suspect.
The Association of Mortgage Intermediaries, the National Bullying Helpline and The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS), are among those organisations urging the move for advisers to update their employment policies on social media usage.
The organisations warned cyber bullying is an area from which employers are witnessing growing numbers of complaints.
Christine Pratt, founder of the National Bullying Helpline, said: "We are hearing increasing numbers of these cases.
"Even if the activity is external to the business, it has the potential to bring the employer into disrepute. Our recommendation is that every employer in the UK should be updating their policy to include cyber bullying."
Robert Sinclair, chief executive of the Association of Mortgage Intermediaries (Ami), where Mr Bunton used to be chairman, said it was important that advisers had an effective policy in place that governs employee social media activity.
He said: "Anti-social media activity of any type is unacceptable.
"Any firm should have policies and processes to deal with complaints, grievances and whistleblowing. They should treat anything in relation to social media in exactly the same way as any other issue."
Mr Sinclair added that no legal proceedings had yet formally proved that Mr Bunton had done anything wrong to Mr Burns.
He said: "For clarity, nothing has been proven one way or another with Mr Bunton.
"He resigned from L&C and they accepted his resignation. He went through due process to be removed from the FCA register.
"As soon as he stepped down from L&C he had to step down from the Ami board."
Acas has drawn up a series of recommendations for employers seeking assistance with handling cyber bullying issues, which can be reviewed here.
Alex Mayes, spokesman for independent charity Victim Support, said online bullies are often hiding behind a screen and so forget about the victim on the end of their comments.
Mr Mayes said: "People can be targeted continuously, no matter where they are - at work, at home or out with their friends.
"It is important that people don’t behave online in a way that they wouldn't in person."
Mr Bunton could not be reached for comment while L&C Mortgages declined to comment.
Bath Rugby did not respond to a request for comment.
