Facebook is Destoring Lives, Firing Employee's that Criticize Company.

"Employers are struggling to figure out what the right policies are and what they should do when these cases arise," said Michael Eastman, labor law policy director at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. In one case, a Chicago-area car salesman was fired after going on Facebook to complain that his BMW dealership served overcooked hot dogs, stale buns and other cheap food instead of nicer fare at an event to roll out a posh new car model.

Should anything you say online affect your job?

Apparently, It can and will get you fired. I doesn't take much either.

But the board's attorneys reached the opposite conclusion in the case of a Wal-Mart employee who went on Facebook to complain about management "tyranny" and used an off-color Spanish word to refer to a female assistant manager. The worker was suspended for one day and disqualified from seeking promotion for a year.

Really Walmart? Your big bloated a$$ can't take the heat?

"Most of the social media policies that we've been presented are very, very overbroad," Solomon said in an interview. "They say you can't disparage or criticize the company in any way on social media, and that is not true under the law."

Free speech? (unless it's on Facebook).

"Where will the board draw the line between concerted activity and an employer's legitimate non-disparagement policy?" Eastman said.

Indeed Mr. Eastman

Story

That is one aspect of life where Facebook can damage your life.

Another, and even more tragic is what it does to relationships.

I have a nephew that is getting divorced over Facebook.

The soon to be "Classic Story". Girl friends ex-boyfriend...You know the rest.

I even read a thread on ATS recently where Facebook could potentially damage a relationship.

I decided to get off Facebook about three months ago.

But just when I thought I was out...They pulled me back in.

Any Thoughts?

I have had jobs where they specifically make you sign a contract on what type of behavior is expected from you outside of work, including online activities.

My best advice is don't make fun of your employer on Facebook, especially if your boss is on your friends list

People will snitch on you too!

The employment issues could've been avoided by not "friending" anyone from work and by setting your security settings to be blocked from the public.
Essentially it's a form of publishing so I'm not sure what the legal ramifications are.
I personally just don't slag my employer online.

For the relationship issues, well if someone leaves you because they met someone on facebook, they did you a favour because they were never really in love with you.

People need to stop blaming others for their actions and take some accountability for what happens in their lives.
We're not powerless to our surroundings...

Just my 2 cents

I support an employers right to terminate or otherwise discipline an employee who criticizes the company on Facebook or any other social network. Just because you have a 1st Amendment right to freedom of speech does not mean that you have a freedom from the ramifications of that speech. An employer has every right to expect you to publicly uplift the company, if you have concerns or complaints take it up privately with management.

Once you "say" it...it can be a he/she said...he/she said situation. Once you post it on FB, it's there for anyone to read...loud and clear. People need to think before posting on social networks.....there is such a thing as "personal responsibility"...use your brain folks.

Meh.

No real sympathy here. You put something online, it's there for good. At least that's the way I see it.

How stupid do you have to be to slam your employer on the world's largest spy network?

Nope had a myspace account for a little while but deleted that.

Never ever will i facebook. whats the point really, everyone i talk to i talk to in person. if i need to say something to someone i will positive or negative.

it seems as though it was designed to keep in touch with friends and family. well the way i see it if i know you and we dont talk that much thats how "I" want to keep it.

i dont want to freind you on some stupid site so you can know how im feeling today, or what my thoughts are on this and that.

or hey check out this picture i just took aint i grand!

it just seems to glorify ego's......and imho takes us more away from being civil to one another.


Yes i may be missing something here but in the long run whatever im missing wont be missed much at all.

reply to post by InshaAllah


You're not missing jack.

Originally posted by sixswornsermon
Meh.

No real sympathy here. You put something online, it's there for good. At least that's the way I see it.

How stupid do you have to be to slam your employer on the world's largest spy network?

exactly my thoughts, this is for the goverment i mean cmon people or sheeple or whatever you are. they know everything about you through you.

insanity at its best

reply to post by whyamIhere


ive never personal known it to ruin anyone's relationships but i am very careful what i put on Facebook now. i once put that i was thinking of leaving my job and going back to uni and my work colleagues told my boss who pulled me up on it and he got a little funny about it, it made me really angry as it was only a random thought and it caused loads of bother. i now change all my privacy settings so that any work colleagues who im not great friends with cant see what i am putting.

Originally posted by InshaAllah

Originally posted by sixswornsermon
Meh.

No real sympathy here. You put something online, it's there for good. At least that's the way I see it.

How stupid do you have to be to slam your employer on the world's largest spy network?

exactly my thoughts, this is for the goverment i mean cmon people or sheeple or whatever you are. they know everything about you through you.

insanity at its best

If you found your way to ATS...

You are probably smart enough not to do this.

However, Most of society isn't that bright.

This may sound harsh but if you add employees and your work to your FB and then complain and call management names then you deserve to be fired. It's not professional to be posting it all over the internet. If you want to complain, call a friend. Don't post it online. Its just how it is now....whether you like it or not.

If you are so worried about what people will think of your FB or whatever make that stuff private. My page is on lock down as many say. I only add friends and family and NOBODY from work. It's my personal space, I don't want work people on there. I also don't say things that could jeopardize my job or anything online, it's the wrong way to go about complaining. Like I said call a friend and vent! Posting it online is the dumbest thing to do...

As far as FB and relationships, I so get that one! I know a few people whose relationships were ruined over exes getting in contact....That is why you don't have exes on your FB! They are an ex for a reason and the only reason they want to add you is to see what you are doing now. It's trouble waiting to happen......


So it's simple, don't complain about your job on a public forum!

reply to post by magicalearth


Lol. Isn't that the best?

One random thought, and your nosy colleague is running off at the mouth to your boss just to stir the pot.

This is why I hate social media. It just feeds the exponentiallly growing vanity of the human species.

Facebook is what you make of it. Used judiciously, it is a good way to keep up with friends and family. People forget that it is a PUBLIC forum.

I am very careful what I post. There are people who post continuous statuses, like "going to Starbucks for coffee now"...."back home cleaning house"......"going to the mall for a new outfit"....and then there are the famous rants in which somebody slams somebody else and an online fight ensues.

I never post anything personal as a rule. Although it would seem that there is free speech in America, and Facebook should be included in that, the bottom line is, if you complain about your employer and say how you really feel online for everybody to read, it is the same as saying it directly to your employer. There are tons of people out of work waiting in line for your job, no matter how mundane it is, or if your employer sucks and is a cheap-ass tightwad who serves cruddy generic hot dogs and stale buns to customers. There is a La-La Land of Idealism in which people can say what they like on Facebook, and then there is the real world in which there are real ramifications for shooting your mouth off in cyberspace.

The computer age has made people into a bunch of whiny gossips who can neither mind their own business nor keep their mouth shut about it. This is mostly directed to the younger folks out there: Nobody cares about what you're doing every second of the day. You are not as important as you imagine yourself to be. If you have something of value to share with the world, then by all means, please do. If you're just posting where you are and what you're doing all the time because you imagine yourself to be a star, think again. It's boring and shows that you have no life. Learn the difference between judicious posting and pointless ranting and babbling.

Thank you.

did the employee give the company permission to snoop at it's private facebook page?

this would be my legal approach....

Facebook isn't public, it's only for friends...

are you not allowed to tell friends what you think of your empoyer?

this isn't over...

Originally posted by cdnutz44
An employer has every right to expect you to publicly uplift the company, if you have concerns or complaints take it up privately with management.

I would love to attend that meeting.
"Sir, do you mind if I call you a moron online? I just need to make sure."

cdnutz44, I agree with you and you make a very good point. Just pulling your leg.

I do feel there is not a clear cut definition on what could be considered slander, and what is actually not. Like someone who comes home after a rough day of work to let off some steam. It's probably directed at work in general, and not specifically at their company.

its simple really

don't use facebook (or google plus...thats right, come get me >=) )

and don't work for dinosaur policy corporations, or the NWO.

seriously if your in a position to be fired for complaining about bbq food, do something about it don't just stand there and take it, what kind of two bit [removed] is that? sue them, take them to court for inappropriate dismissal, do SOMETHING for god sake.

the more people take this kind of bs the more bs is going to come.

apperntly people were not taught how to act online. would you go up to you boss and talk bad about your job? if you answer no, then you should not put it on the internet. It can will most likly get much worse then people just getting fired because of what they say.

Before you make unpleasant remarks considering your place of employment maybe all should remember This quote:

Do not bite the hand that feeds you.

reply to post by whyamIhere


Never did MySpace, Face Book, tweet or much less IM, when working

I prefer face to face contact.

Currently retired so I don't have to worry about it. However, when/if I find a job, I'll go back to the old ways.