Earlier this week, the internet was all a buzz with the news that an employer had settled with a former employee it fired for criticizing a supervisor on Facebook. If you think that this settlement signals that employers are powerless to discipline employees who criticize their employers online, think again.…
Articles Posted in Social Media and the Workplace
How the Facebook firing settlement affects YOUR company
A company accused of violating federal law for firing an employee for comments she made on Facebook about her supervisor has settled. How does this settlement affect how your company can control employee engagement in social networking activities? The answer, after the jump. * * * Last year, the NLRB’s Hartford…
Could you fire this employee without laughing?
You operate a company that provides mall security. And one of your security guards posts a video on YouTube of a female mall employee falling into a fountain while she is texting. You should already have a social media policy. But, even if you don’t, you know what to do, right? I know.…
How Facebook Can Make or Break Your Case: The Plaintiff’s Arsenal
By now, hopefully, you’ve read my post “How Facebook Can Make Or Break Your Case.” I wrote it primarily for my fellow members of the defense bar. So, if you haven’t yet read it, and you generally represent employers, shame on you! Stop reading this and go read it now.…
Get a social media policy…before your employees pimp hookers on Facebook
If you know me, you know that I am a BIG advocate of social media policies for employers. I’ve written about it here. And I’ve spoken both to clients and at global conferences on the subject. If you have not adopted a social media policy yet, check out this story…
Unions are using social media to organize YOUR workforce.
Even without theNational Labor Relations Board may decide cases in a way that enhances the union’s ability to organize a workforce. The the Board may also place additional limits on employer speech rights and attempt to give union organizers access to an employer’s workplace. But even without direct, on-site access…
Employee fired for Facebook comments sues her employer
I was reading an article in the Gwinnett Daily Post — yeah, that’s right, the GDP — and it starts out like this… BUFORD — When Buford City Schools bus driver Michele Threlkeld finished her final route on the last day of school, she reported to her supervisor’s office, as…
Facebook Posts Cost School Superintendent His Job
At the Connecticut Employment Law Blog, Daniel Schwartz wrote a two-part piece about a Connecticut school superintendent who was forced to resign after making some lighthearted remarks on Facebook. The comment that appears to have gotten the superintendent in the most trouble was this one referring to a personnel matter:…
Should employers monitor Facebook use of second-chance offenders?
A few weeks ago, I came across an article by Terrence O’Brien on switched.com, “Facebook ‘Subscribe to’ Feature Lets You Follow Your Friend’s Every Move.” Facebook is testing a new feature that lets you subscribe to a specific user’s content. In practice, this means receiving a notification every time that…
How Facebook Can Make Or Break Your Case
Facebook has over 400 million active users. Twitter users are, in total, tweeting an average of 55 million tweets a day. If an employee files suit against your client, what are the odds the employee uses social media? I’d say they’re pretty good. Just imagine missing that Facebook post that…