Enthusiastic ?bloggers? who keep online diaries at work should be curbed by their employers, according to a Bermuda law firm.

There are numerous potential pitfalls associated with blogging such as disgruntled writers venting their feelings against employers and co-workers, said employment law specialist Juliana Snelling, of Mello Jones and Martin.

According to a survey by the Employment Law Alliance, of which Mello Jones and Martin is a member, around five percent of the American workforce maintain a blog.

Of these, 16 percent admitted having posted negative comments regarding their employer, colleagues or clients.

However, the survey also revealed that only 15 percent of employers had policies about blogging, despite the potential impact on workplace morale.

Recommending that employers should add rules on blogging during work time to their to employee handbooks, Ms Snelling pointed out that potential harm could be greatly amplified in a small and tightly-knit community like Bermuda.

?A sensible blogging policy should insist that employees who do blog include a disclaimer in a prominent place on the blog that the employee?s views do not reflect the view of the employer,? she said.

Other recommendations include making the employee?s duty to keep confidential matters to themselves clear, and including a term that the employee should not disparage the company or post inappropriate content.

Seasoned bloggers Phillip Wells, who is behind the limeyinbermuda.com discussion site and Christian Dunleavy who runs politics.bm have not heard of any problems arising yet, but believe office policies on the matter are sensible. ?From my perspective my blog and my work are completely separate and I make a point of not writing about anything that happens at work. That?s good advice for anyone who keeps a blog,? said Mr. Wells, a software developer whose site has about 1,000 visits per day. ?There are more people keeping them in Bermuda although it?s still fairly limited. For me, it?s a way of expressing my opinions and getting feedback on them from others.

?I think it?s perfectly understandable that employers would want to have a policy on this ? it?s no different from anything else at work, like employee use of the internet.?

Mr. Dunleavy, an insurance underwriter, said: ?There?s not a lot of blogging in Bermuda and I don?t think there?s a problem with people blogging about their employers.?

Gary Phillips, deputy chairman of the tribunal which adjudicates the Employment Act 2000,, said that no blogging-related matters have yet come before it although it is possible that initial complaints on this subject may have been successfully resolved at an earlier stage by the labour department.

However, he added: ?There?s no doubt that technology demands that employers and employees review their relationship on an ongoing basis. The world changes and we have to readjust.?