BNP Paribas warns employees against Ukraine comments on social media
Employees at BNP Paribas have been warned against commenting on the Ukraine crisis, as Western nations continue to ramp up sanctions on Russia.
According to reports from the Sunday Telegraph, bankers have been told to caveat social media posts, with the firm suggesting that they need to flag the fact that their words represent their own views rather than the company’s views.
An internal memo seen by the paper flagged LinkedIn as a key platform that needed to be treated with caution by employees, with profiles being easily traced back to BNP Paribas.
A spokesperson for BNP Paribas stated that the group’s priority was on the safety of its employees and their families, and added: “The group social media guidelines are clear on the fact that all employees are totally free to share personal views… as long as those comments are not presented on behalf of BNP Paribas”.
CEO of BNP Paribas Jean-Laurent Bonnafé posted on LinkedIn: “The aggression against Ukraine calls for solidarity among all Europeans and within the international community”.
“First and foremost, the Group has done everything within its power to provide for the security of its employees and their families. For those living in areas particularly affected by the attacks, we have created facilities with the support of BNP Paribas Bank Polska, in Poland, and their employees who have shown great solidarity with their colleagues and neighbors. Working in close collaboration, all the teams in Hungary, Romania and Slovakia are mobilized and actively helping. A big thank you to all of them”, he added.
“BNP Paribas and its employees will remain mobilized, alongside all those who work for the values of peace and humanity in Europe.”
It comes as US card payment giants Visa and Mastercard shut out Russian financial institutions from their networks last week.