Last week I mentioned how people say weird (or is that idiotic?) things on Twitter that will most-likely get them fired or at the very least, provide some pretty awkward moments in the office. Well, this behavior is not exclusive to Twitter. Its actually quite rampant on Facebook as well.
Check out these examples:
- Connecticut superintendent out of job over Facebook comments – A Connecticut school superintendent is out of a six-figure job after getting into some Facebook trouble. The Windsor Locks Board of Education is forcing David Telesca to resign after comments he made on his Facebook page.
- Hospital Will Fire Workers in Facebook Scandal – Rumors swirled around Tri-City Medical Center in Oceanside two weeks ago that some employees had been fired for sharing patient information on Facebook. The allegations, that dozens of employees may have violated patient confidentiality by posting information on the social networking site caught the attention of the state.
- Employees should exercise discretion on social networks – Social networking can be fun—but it could also get you fired. In fact, that’s what happened to a Swiss insurance worker who lost her job for surfing Facebook after having reported sick. The woman, who had asked for leave saying she had to be away from her computer monitor and resting, was then seen active on Facebook for which her employer—Nationale Suisse—lost trust in her and ended her work contract. The company also banned use of social networking sites during office hours.
- Photo of Bikini Clad Women Draped on a Police Cruiser Gets South Carolina Cop Fired – A South Carolina police officer has been relieved of his duties after a photo surfaced on Facebook of scantily-clad women posing on the hood of his town police cruiser.
- Teacher Fired Over Facebook – Harry Smith spoke with teacher June Talvitie-Siple who was forced to resign after parents saw postings on her Facebook page.
- Facebook entry that earned ‘Lindsay’ her P45 – The worker, known only as “Lindsay”, updated her Facebook status with “OMG [oh my God] I HATE MY JOB!!” She went on: “My boss is a total pervy w****r, always making me do s**t stuff just to p**s me off!! W****r!” Her boss “Brian” responded a few hours later just before 11pm, opening with: “Hi Lindsay, I guess you forgot about adding me on here?”
I suppose it would be too obvious to say do not incriminate yourself on Facebook, but (based on the examples above) no one would hear me. Still, I feel compelled to push a few common sense tips. Puh-leezz people, consider these tips/articles.
- Adjust your privacy settings –> 10 Privacy Settings Every Facebook User Should Know
- Do NOT discuss confidential information online. Even if you have your privacy settings set for a select few, what if someone on your list gets angry with you? Also, Facebook has adjusted its privacy rules over the years and who knows, maybe they will again. Best to be careful, especially if the data in question is related to your job.
- Don’t use Facebook during work hours, especially if you know the management frowns upon it. And if you think you can be (somehow) slick with your use of Facebook, please keep in mind that everything is time stamped and dated. If I am connected to you and can see your wall, I can see that you were on Facebook at 8:02 am which is about 20 minutes after you called in sick.
- Remove comments that other people that might get you in trouble later. For example, “Dude you were so drunk last night! hahahaha…” (Would it be a good thing if your manager or office co-workers saw that?)
- Check out the photos where you have been tagged and if its necessary, remove the tag and (in your privacy settings) prevent people from tagging you on any future photos.
Okay, that’s it for now. Hmm… it seems like I am on a reputation kick. Maybe I will post more on this. What do you think?
-Jim
Follow me on Social Media:
