Fired for Facebook

YOU POSTED WHAT?! As we live more of our lives online, social media has become the new water cooler for employees to discuss working conditions. On one hand, employers have the fear of disgruntled employees doing some serious brand damage online. On the other, they have the risk of being sued for violating federal law. EVERYBODY'S ONLINE - AT LEAST ALMOST EVERYBODY f 7in10 ADULT INTERNET USERS WHO USE SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES The younger the worker, the more likely they use social media: Percentage of social media use by age group 183% 177% 18-29 30-49 152% 50-64 132% 65+ 20 40 60 100 15LR 1n4 ttttf 1/2 HOURS FACEBOOK AVERAGE AMOUNT OF TIME USERS WHO SPENT PER MONTH ON DON'T MANAGE FACEBOOK THEIR PRIVACY SETTINGS 6 in10 ttttt WORKERS WHO SAY THEY ARE UNSATISFIED WITH THEIR JOBS WHAT DOES ALL OF THIS MEAN? THAT YOU PROBABLY USE FACEBOOK OR OTHER FORMS OF SOCIAL MEDIA, AND YOU USE IT A LOT. IT ALSO MEANS YOU'VE PROBABLY GOT SOME THINGS TO GRIPE ABOUT ONCE YOU GET HOME FROM WORK. IT'S NOT A LEAP TO SAY IT'S AT LEAST TEMPTING TO UNLOAD YOUR JOB DISSATISFACTION ON SOCIAL MEDIA. BUT BE CAREFUL ... WHAT THE LAW SAYS What about free speech, you ask? The First Amendment protects you from legal consequences of protected speech, but it doesn't mean you are immune from all negative effects. You would probably expect to be fired-or at least reprimanded-if you insulted your boss to her face, so you should expect it if you do so online and the wrong person finds out. But laws vary by state, as more lawmakers are recognizing and protecting the rights of employees in their off-the-clock communications. Generally speaking, an employer can intervene when: AN EMPLOYEE POSTS DURING AN EMPLOYEE'S POSTS WORK HOURS ENDANGER THE COMPANY (SUCH AS BY REVEALING CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION) THE NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD HAS RULED THAT EMPLOYERS CANNOT FIRE WORKERS ACTING WITH OTHER EMPLOYEES TO INITIATE A GROUP ACTION AGAINST A PERCEIVED INJUSTICE BY THEIR EMPLOYER. %S# #$%e*6 #$% @*6 #$% #$%@*& IT'S HAPPENING EVERYWHERE Here's just a sampling of the stories of workers who were fired for what they said in social media: KEY WHERE WHY ? WHO O'Hare Airport. Chicago Chicago Grand Rapids, Michigan Several hospital employees TSA baggage ! Bartender screener O A worker snapped a photo of a woman he thought was attractive and shared it on Facebook; he was fired and so were his coworkers who "liked" the photo O The nine-year TSA veteran repeatedly went on racist and homophobic rants publicly on Facebook 2 Making racist comments that soon went viral Michigan Community college professor O The professor used the story of a failing student in a status update Arkansas Police officer O The officer posted a warning to residents not to drink and drive; his supervisor said the post compromised a planned DUI checkpoint London, Buckingham Palace Palace Massachusetts Rhode Island guard O The 18-year-old quard slammed Kate Middleton in a Facebook post Firefighter/paramedic Physician Posting negative things about gays, mentally challenged people, public officials and others who disagreed with him O A 48-year-old doctor at a hospital posted information about on emergency room patient NOT FIRED – NOT EVEN HIRED The other part of this equation is making sure your online persona is clean to begin with, because potential employers are watching. 3in4 RECRUITERS REQUIRED TO 70% CONI RESEARCH ON CANDIDATES Recruiters who have rejected candidates based on online investigations What employers are looking for: 65% Does the candidate present himself or herself professionally? Is the candidate a good 51% fit for company culture? Want to learn more 51% about qualifications Is the candidate 35% well-rounded? 12% Reasons not to hire the candidate 20 40 60 80 100 SOURCES http://pewinternet.org • http://www.statisticbrain.com • http://blog.bufferapp.com • http://www.huffingtonpost.com http://www.wzzm13.com • http://college.monster.com • http://thenextweb.com online-paralegal-programs.com