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Employers Looking At Facebook...My Story

4K views 68 replies 45 participants last post by  BruiserKC 
#1 ·
Happened here just a couple of weeks ago, it seems like this whole thing is becoming a major shitstorm where I work.

I'm a manager for a call compliance center at a local bank. I've been with this company almost 12 years and enjoy my work, as well as the people I work with. Within the last few months this VP has come in and is rattling cages, don't know if he's looking for something but I pretty much tend to do my thing. However, he gets annoyed at the fact I think for myself and don't always agree with him.

Friend of mine was leaving the company, wanted me to go out with them for a few drinks before he and the Mrs. moved to California for a new job of hers. So, my wife and I were out that Saturday night for dinner and stop by the bar/nightclub for a couple beers. Lot of people I work with are there. During the night, my friend tells me one of the girls that works with us is really scared and needs to talk to me at work. She happens to be there, and I tell her that on Monday to see me in my office.

So, on Monday she comes up with her supervisor, and lays her story out. Apparently, she makes comments about work and other shit (like most that have it do) on her Facebook page. One comment is that the new VP is apparently creepy and has supposedly hit on a couple of her girlfriends. Apparently, they also saw him one night at local gentlemen's club when she was with a bachelorette party and he was really freaking a lot of people out, even the dancers. The VP doesn't like what she is saying and thus is wanting us to discipline her for putting comments about work on Facebook.

I tell her that I am not doing anything and if the VP has a problem with it that I will deal with it. I know that companies are having these regulations about employees talking trash about work on FB and Twitter, but there is none where I work and as far as I'm concerned, it's their business what they put on their page when not at work. As I've stated here before, my personal rights (and the rights of others) are never up for negotiation as far as I'm concerned, period. I will never sacrifice my rights, nor do I expect others to.

The VP apparently comes to see me and has a huge shit fit that I won't discipline her. I advise him that's her business what she puts on her FB and Twitter and it's more of a concern that you act like you do when at the strip club and talking about your job here than her little comments on FB. He then says, "She said on her page you were boring. because you don't go out with the co-workers." I told him I don't because I don't party all hours of the night and they are my workers. I am their manager, not their friend. He stormed out.

Now, I'm hearing rumblings from my boss about the whole situation. Apparently, this VP wants my head because I won't bow and kiss his ring. I've put in almost 12 years with this company, but I can find another job tomorrow with my contacts. I know of at least three jobs I can get tomorrow by knowing the right people. I'm not looking for a fight, but will take one if it comes along.

So, what do you think? Does your employer have the right to view your FB and Twitter for stuff about work? I say no.
 
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#2 ·
I've definitely heard stories of employees being fired because of provocative images and "poor conduct" in general on social networking sites. I personally think it's outrageous for employers to regularly view their employees' personal accounts. This has yet to happen to me, but the most I can do is to be cautious about what I put on my Facebook.
 
#3 ·
Your absolutely right in this situation and I applaud you for putting your foot down when you did. The VP is obviously a douche and wants to abuse his power because people are calling him out on it.
 
#4 ·
I work for a football club and we were told to be careful about what we put on social media sites.

It doesn't affect me much but I can understand why companies do have policies like that.

Fair play to you though for standing up against your tyrannical boss. You are officially the "Stone Cold" Steve Austin of the forum.
 
#5 ·
Check your contract, check your employees' contract, go through them with a fine tooth comb, and if there's nothing about social networking then the VP doesn't have a leg to stand on. Keep a record of everything he says/does with regards to this particular situation though, in case he finds another reason to get you out, then you can show that the real reason was an illegitimate one and bang his buns bright blue in court.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Is it a government job? If no, then there is no reasonable expectation to privacy and there is no first amendment protection.

It's simple and most grown ass adults don't understand it: Don't write/post incriminating shit on Facebook. Most people don't comprehend that posting something on Facebook is like posting something on a giant bulletin board you would see in the hallways on a college campus. You post it, it's out there.

If this a hill you are willing to die on, OP? If so, do what you gotta do.



Yeah.... no, she would lose in court.

There is probably nothing in regards to Facebook in their contract, however there most likely is something in there about harassment/disparaging a co-worker etc etc. Making disparaging remarks about the VP (IE calling him creepy etc etc etc) falls under that and that is what will get her in trouble.

Potentially getting fired for harassing the VP is not exactly wrongful termination.
 
#6 ·
They have as much right as anyone else does. But this is why there are privacy settings on Facebook anyways. I don't think you should make comments (insulting comments) about the company in general or the main boss (CEO if you have it). That's about it though.

I've heard some companies even require employees to give their password so that they can check on the information on their facebook. That's just humorous to me.

Only times you shouldn't be allowed to post information about your company is if they have something secretive they don't want leaked. When I was in the Navy and working overseas we were specifically told not to comment about anything that went on in the "top secret" building. A few people did however and eventually a good friend of mine was court martialed. That' should be the only exception.
 
#7 ·
Facebook and twitter are in the public sphere, so saying negative things work related on them is just as bad as saying it in person an being over-heard. It's like we're all told a children, if you don't have anything nice to say, the don't say anything at all. If this girl has been stupid enough to say negative things about a colleague online then it's her own fault isn't it, if she gets punished because of it.

A lot of people will be overly protective and say that what goes online is private but let's be honest, nobody posts stuff on social media sites that they want to keep private, they post things which they want to share with others.

This is what private messaging is for.
 
#10 ·
Goes to show we shouldn't share everything we think/want/know.
 
#11 ·
Dont post stuff that could get you in trouble on facebook, or atleast sort out the privacy settings

In an ideal world, nobody would be monitoring everything you do, unfortunately privacy and individual rights has gone straight out the window over the last few years
 
#12 ·
This is something I have ALWAYS disagreed with (employers bitching about facebook stuff).


Facebook is your OWN page, it is OUTSIDE of work. People should have the right to say whatever they want. If I think someone I work with is a total fucking cocksucker, I should be free to say so on facebook without being worried whether I have a job the next day.

You can talk shit on facebook all you want. As long as you go to work and still treat the person the way you should, follow company values, whatever you say on FB should mean fuck all to the company.
 
#14 ·
Employers typically hire people that they feel would be the best representatives for their company of the applicants they receive. Going on Facebook and being not only stupid enough to have your profile public, but also to talk down upon the company hierarchy in public view? Well, that's just a recipe for disaster.

The company hierarchy is there for a reason. It's one thing to talk amongst friends in a social setting, but to put it on blast via the Internet screams immaturity and lack of discipline and respect for the company hierarchy. Would you hire someone with those qualities being their manager, not their friend? I wouldn't. I absolutely think the people who the company that writes your checks saw fit to put in a position over you deserve your respect, both on and off duty.

Don't like them? Fine. Keep it to your fucking self and between people you trust.
 
#17 ·
Disagreed.

Just because someone talks shit on a fucking social page doesn't mean they are going to be shitty people at work.

There is one co-worker of mine I absolutely fucking HATE and I will rip on him on my page but, when I am at work, I stick to the company values and treat him with respect.

What people do after they are off the clock at work should not matter.


Our HR guy is super company value oriented at work. He has come to Christmas parties with a group of us the last two years (he started October 2011) and he fucking takes digs at people who aren't at the party and it's absolutely hilarious. No one gives a shit. It's off the clock, people don't need to have any company values.

Anyone who judges a person entirely off of a social network without seeing their work ethic is a fucking dipshit. Some company is going to fire a guy who never takes a sick day, is never late, never causes trouble, is basically THE guy driving the company, because he comes home one night and talks about how fucking shitty some asshole at work was that day? That right there is just fucking nitpicky bullshit. Let people say what they want off the clock.
 
#16 ·
If you haven't got your posts on private well anybody really has the right to read to it. I don't think anybody should be punished for what work-related things they write on their social media site, though. He should be able to read it if he wants to, but I don't really think he should take action for it unless a post is made where she's planning something. A few negative comments are pretty harmless in the long run.

Still, not having it on private is a dumb move.
 
#20 ·
I'm on the fence about this. On one hand, you are a representative of a business. On the other hand, your work life isn't the only aspect of your being and the thought of work reaching into your personal life is invasive.
 
#22 ·
^I'm on the fence too. I think people should be able to say whatever they want on their facebook pages. But at the same time, I think people really should just keep things to themselves sometimes. It isn't good to make your company look bad in public. Plus you should be able to figure out that talking negatively about the people who sign your paycheck is a bad idea. Some people like to blab about the silliest things, and then they're suprised when it blows up in their faces. Still, it's their facebook.

As you can see, this a very conflicting issue for be.
 
#24 ·
I don't care. Surely if you are going to post about work you would have the intelligence and foresight to ensure the message is friends only. Takes like, a button click to do.

Is this girl's laziness to click a button worth you having to change jobs? Well that's for you to decide.
 
#28 ·
I think it's wrong that companies spy on people through social networks, but if people are stupid enough to post certain things and disregard privacy settings, then they're probably not smart enough to keep their jobs. If it's something they can't say to their boss's face, then they probably shouldn't say it and risk their position... Unless they're positive they can get a better position in another company that pays more.
 
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#35 ·
Do you know how many people have gotten in trouble at work because they posted pictures of themselves totally sloshed at a weekend party?


It's fucking dumb shit like that I have a problem with. Some people get in trouble for merely having a bottle of beer in their hand because the assumption is that this person is some fucking drunk when that could have very well been their first, and only, beer the entire night, but, people see a picture and form a conclusion.


Your personal life if your personal life. I get that venting on a social network doesn't make it as private/personal of a life anymore, but, still, you're away from work and if donkeycock at work is being a ******, people should be able to post about it. Maybe if he sees it, he'll tuck his imaginary 10 inch dick in his pants and realize he is only a 2.
 
#30 ·
At the end of the day, just about everyone has heard news about people getting fired for stuff they said on facebook. It's not like this a brand new issue. People should know better by now. Either stop being lazy and set your posts on private, or just don't post anything that will get you in trouble. It isn't fair, but it's reality. Get used to it, or get the hell out.
 
#32 ·
I actually agree with the VP. Perhaps you need to refresh your business ideology. There is entire courses based around social network responsibility.

It boils down to this. Is there any issue with not getting along with your boss, and complaining about it to friends and family? No.

Is there something wrong with using a public channel that can be seen by the entire world to make comments about your boss? Absolutely. You can NOT do that. What if the boss wasn't actually hitting on her, she just misunderstood. And now here she is, damaging his reputation on the internet open to billions of people if they truly wanted to see it.

Like I said, if you wanna complain to a family member or a friend, fill your boots. But do not post your grievances to the public, it WILL come back to bite you in the ass.

What would the shit storm be like if the VP posted on FB that he has ungrateful employees who need to learn their place. I guarantee people wouldn't be looking at it from the "He has the right to say it" stand point. It's unprofessional business conduct to use social media in such a manner.
 
#36 ·
I've been called out on something I put on Twitter when I was in my first job after school. It was something about complaining about the unrealistic target the store had set for the day's trade. I didn't mention numbers, I didn't name names, I just said it was stupid and mentioned the company's name in the same tweet and they found it through that.

No hashtags, mentions, I didn't have anyone following me that I worked with either. They just found it and gave an official warning or whatever. It was fucking bullshit.

There has to be a limit to what is considered "having the right to say what you want" too. Like I'd probably fire someone that worked for me if they went home every night and wrote shit about me personally or the company as a whole on a frequent basis. It can get the point where it's just straight slander and it kills the company's image.

With that being said I think it's unfair to warn or fire someone for comments they make outside of work. If they are tweeting those things at work or saying shit on Facebook while at work I see it as whatever problem they have effecting what they are paid to do, which is when it becomes a problem from my perspective and should be dealt with by the employer.

My solution is to tell my co-workers I don't have any social networking sites so they don't bother looking for me. When I worked in retail I've seen kids get fired for taking selfies at work and posting them on instagram etc.

It's all down to a bit of common sense on both sides really.
 
#37 ·
I know for a fact that as an employee of the Department of Education, we are bound by an official code of conduct to not refer to any member of staff, or particular students, using social media. There is a huge contention about having parents or relatives of children on there as a contact, because shit can really hit the fan. A friend of mine got investigated by the commission because he'd posted stuff about how he hated certain children in his grade that he was teaching on.

As far as my two cents go, there is a time and a place to vent about work. People will ignore the 1000 positives anytime they see a negative. My general guideline is to use FB to solely post about sports, current affairs, and pleasant experiences. I also need to be mindful of photos posted on my account, as these can be conceived 'poor nature' and a violation of being a respectable employee. If I have to sook or whinge about a student or colleague, I'll do it down the pub with close mates over a few cold ones.
 
#38 ·
I know when I worked at Giant, it basically said in bold print...now I'm paraphrasing of course..but "If we find out you talked shit about the company, or disclose anything, your DONE!". I never really gave a fuck because the job was cool, but they do make you sign some kind of waiver, or at least they did in my case.
 
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