Jul 10 2009
FACING OFF EMPLOYERS WITH FACEBOOK (AND OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA)
Facebook, Twitter, and other social media are so very popular, that people should be aware that employers of many companies look at your profile and credibility on here too.I am blogging this because after reading this article , I feel that people who have fun online with social media, must now restrict their thoughts about what they post because they can be fired if their boss see what they postedIsn’t there a solution that both can come up with so that freedom of speech on social media networks isn’t hindered, and a boss can just mind their own business and not fire someone because of what was tweeted about them?
Well, I think there are instances where a meeting should be held, and other times where a boss should just let a person network, gossip, and say whatever.
INSTANCES WHERE A MEETING SHOULD BE HELD
*If a person on Facebook mentions someone stealing on the job, or some other employee infarction, then using social media network is fine, but shouldn’t be the end all. The boss should hold a quick meeting and perhaps fire the person stealing. Although I think on some jobs, the boss prefers a face to face message about this, and not a Tweet.
*Someone tweets about a boss harassing them in an inappropriate manner. People would see this, and oftentimes, tweeting is not going to solve it. It isn’t grounds to fire the person tweeting about the boss now is it? The boss should be taken out of the establishment, never to work again.
INSTANCES WHERE A BOSS SHOULD JUST “SUCK IT UP”
*In the article, a person mentions about the job not being as satisfying, so they used a social media network: Facebook, to tell all about this.
Unfortunately, this person’s job found out about the message and fired her promptly. Now, the boss could have just let it go, that was pure childishness and their feelings got too involved.
* Okay, so if a person wants a fatter paycheck and more respect on the job, and “Tweets” about it, so what? If companies were more fulfilling to people and not expecting folks to grovel and beg because they need a job, no one would have to use social media networks to sound off.
Given all of this, I still think it is a blessing to even have a job right now. We try to have it both ways; a good check versus being happy on the job, or less money for a job that we actually enjoy working; and yet certain freedoms seem restricted.
