Getting Fired For What You Post On Facebook

Slate Magazine:

It may become easier for overbearing employers to control what their workers say online.

Read the whole story: Slate Magazine

Comments

[Hailey745]

11:40 AM on 07/09/2012

I recently was reprimanded at my office for what I had on my Facebook account. I did a bit of searching and found NetworkClean which has since let me know all security threats and inappropriate content on my Facebook account. To say the least I was extremely happy for this website as there were posts from years back that I totally forgot about that I needed to remove. Everyone needs to be very careful now a days with what they are posting online.

[Drosco]

09:24 PM on 07/07/2012

You should be fired for being on Facebook period. Who is still on Facebook?

[trueblueredstater]

12:01 PM on 07/07/2012

Unless your employment is protected by a Collective Bargaining ("Union") Contract specifying that termination can only be for 'just cause' - then you are an 'at-will' employee, and can be terminated for any reason whatsoever, at any time. The boss may can you for dressing funny, looking different, having the wrong political views, etc. There ARE a very few categories that are protected by federal law, but even then, there are ways around those restrictions.

Case in point - the large IT outsourcing company that wanted to get rid of a boatload of older employees - possibly running afoul of federal age discrimination laws - simply hired an equal number of very young employees, and six months later fired young and old, pointing out that the terminations were clearly not age discrimination, because they got BOTH young and old.

Hey - there was a darned good reason that our grandparents unionized! Go back and re-read your history books.
Then, find a copy of Tennessee Ernie Ford singing "Sixteen Tons" - and discover what 'company store' meant.

[bring in swat]

11:21 AM on 07/06/2012

a co-worker of my wife was just fired over facebook postings. she was to be on vacation in europe for two weeks, plans changed and she stayed in the states. the front desk girl was watching her postings then somehow convinced the owner of the business to fire her because she "lied" about her vacation...it's a psyco salon to begin with so this is not really that far fetched...legally i think the girl could nail this place of business for wrongful termination or something, but odds are she won't.

[born 2b different]

11:58 AM on 07/06/2012

How was the front desk girl able to see her postings?

[bring in swat]

02:04 PM on 07/06/2012

most in the salon are FB friends...

[NYs9thwonder]

09:00 PM on 07/05/2012

Facebook is not the place to be putting you life's story on. Either microblog (tweet) or just blog you life instead. It is the safer route than facebook. It also doesn't help if you link those things to your facebook.

I personally still find it sickening that social media is being to be the death of dissent and being opinionated. What is sad is that, these employers who do this, are only piling up cases and lawsuits and congressional inquiries into their intent. I think it will only get worse for employers if they continue to push this issue, unless some people are stupid enough liable against their job...which many people are, there won't be much in the way of crafting an argument against defending people's online data.

[LightShadow62]

08:55 PM on 07/05/2012

If you don't want to get busted for what you post to Facebook or Twitter....don't post to Facebook or Twitter.

[asclad101]

05:44 PM on 07/05/2012

Some companies/agencies want to see your social media before they will hire you. No play no job. It's not always about what you're posting either it may just be who you are friends with as well.

[Peace Walker]

04:50 PM on 07/05/2012

Remember folks, when you post to facebook... you are PUBLISHING.

[born 2b different]

12:00 PM on 07/06/2012

Ever heard of privacy settings. You are only publishing to the people you want to see it if you manage your privacy settings correctly.

[Peace Walker]

01:44 PM on 07/06/2012

And you control all of your friends friends? You are still publishing.

[qtpeye46]

03:07 PM on 07/05/2012

roflmao so ok.. this JUST happened this week.. I came to work and the phone lines went dead and then the internet went dead.. we where outside so I posted to facebook. " phonelines went dead then internet went dead is this building on fire? NOW mind you my facebook profile doesn't have my place of employment on it ANY where and my post was so vague friends thought it was my house . so today I got called on the carpet for it and my response was this company name is not on my facebook profile sooo whats the problem?

[Peace Walker]

04:49 PM on 07/05/2012

Why is your facebook page visible to anyone other than close friends?

[anthony millard]

05:41 PM on 07/05/2012

doesn't matter if one of them snitches on you or if someone related to you does as well

[lofttypeofaview]

06:27 PM on 07/05/2012

Friends make the best enemies!

[Dan Langdon]

02:48 PM on 07/05/2012

Many companies have a social media policy which employees are required to sign. The policies usually contain restrictions on what you can post about the company, coworkers, suppliers, customers, and your association with them. Most of the policies plainly state that failure to abide by the policy can result in immediate termination.

Think before you post

[TaiJi2]

04:50 PM on 07/05/2012

Anyone who would give up their rights for their employer's convenience should go ahead and rescind the rest their citizenship as well. It's not like your using it or anything.

[BuckyJamesDio]

06:14 PM on 07/05/2012

No one has a right to a job. It's a privilege that must be earned. If an employer has a policy about social media, either respect it or eschew the job. It's a simple matter of priorities.

[Wise-guy]

02:43 PM on 07/05/2012

Don't post any confidential information and/or work related comments...It is crazy when people share everything on Facebook. Also, don't use Facebook at work.

[asclad101]

05:46 PM on 07/05/2012

I know people who did that everyday at work and would even post photos of themselves while at work. I'm surprised they weren't caught and fired.

[Wise-guy]

10:01 PM on 07/05/2012

Usually chronic abusers never get caught. It is always innocent people who rarely abuse system get punished. It is life...

[trueblueredstater]

12:04 PM on 07/07/2012

If you are at work, you are on a corporate network...and the owner of that network has absolute privileges to view ANYTHING done on their property. Even keystroke trackers are legal, so if you access your banking site from work, understand that you've handed over your bank info and password to corporate IT.

[Leto II]

02:25 PM on 07/05/2012

Make your FB profile private and resist the urge to friend anyone you work with. Or how about not ripping your employer or boss on FB to begin with? It's not like your other friends reading your comment really care anyway. So what if you have a crappy boss or a crappy job. Take a number.

[trueblueredstater]

12:08 PM on 07/07/2012

Or you can always put it in a fashion that your friends can read as sarcastic....
'Today our glorious leadership proved once again that they are at the cutting edge of management trends, leveraging our core competencies to maximize shareholder returns. Gung Ho!'
Or -
"Thank God that the money saved by the 'best-shoring' initiative will not be foolishly frittered away on employe salaries or benefits, but instead wisely invested in executive retention bonuses...after all, where would we be without our leadership?"

[KarateKid]

01:52 PM on 07/05/2012

R.I.P Freedom of Speech.

[Leto II]

02:30 PM on 07/05/2012

Your comment is misplaced. If you call your boss a jerk to his face, it's not a constutitional issue protected by the first amendment. They full right to fire you and the Supreme Court ain't coming to your rescue. That goes for Facebook or any other social media site.

[BuckyJamesDio]

06:16 PM on 07/05/2012

Not at all. You can still say anything you want; you just need to be aware that there are possible consequences.

[pslcitizen]

12:59 PM on 07/05/2012

If your posting a complaint about your boss & your name is attached to it...it just might come back to bite you. If you have a problem with your employer, try talking to them in person or dropping an anonymous note in the suggestion box. I don't feel sorry for these people..

[asclad101]

05:48 PM on 07/05/2012

Most of the time it's easier to talk your way into trouble than it is to talk your way out of it.

[corkery]

12:21 PM on 07/05/2012

Julian Assange said that Facebook is a spy machine. The government doesn't have to do much to learn a lot of stuff about people and with so many people using it like a personal diary it's easy to see why people get in trouble with it. I tend to agree.