Employees being disciplined or even fired due to their social media posts has grown more prevalent in 2022. Every week it seems like a new person has been let go from their job due to something they said online. Even if you are using a personal account and posting on your own time, utilizing racist, sexist, inconsiderate, or prejudiced comments online can seriously harm your career.
Keep reading to learn how you can prevent doing this. If you believe you have been wrongfully terminated, contact PLBH at (800) 435-7542 to find out what your legal options are.
Do not use your real name on social media
The most crucial thing is to employ common sense when it comes to social media and your career. The first step in doing this should be to update your accounts’ privacy settings, which can involve creating an alias.
Don’t disclose private information
The majority of workers are aware that it is never a good idea to publish documents or material that is obviously confidential online. But occasionally, even banter about your employment could be taken as divulging private information. If you don’t take caution, you can unintentionally divulge information that your supervisor intended for you to remain private.
For instance, if you exhibit joy when a sale closes or sadness when a deal fails, you can be disclosing information that your company would prefer to remain private. While it may be alluring to share amusing or interesting details about your day at work, take care to ensure that you aren’t disclosing anything that ought to be kept private before posting.
Avoid making offensive comments
Your career may be in jeopardy if you tweet or post anything that could be interpreted as racist, sexist, prejudiced, or otherwise offensive. Although it may seem unjust, it’s true that an employee’s online comments can have a negative impact on a business. Employers might also be more likely to fire a worker whose internet reputation casts doubt on their capacity to treat clients and customers fairly.
Be sure to carefully examine the potential effects of your remarks on your employment before posting, commenting, tweeting, or blogging. Do not publish anything that can be construed as offensive or discriminatory.
Before complaining about your job, think it over twice
It’s normal to want to express your unhappiness with your employment on social media because it is a place to vent for many people. But making online complaints about your job can have negative effects.
Your social media activities might be legally protected
Social media posts may occasionally be legally shielded. An employee may be covered under federal labor law if they are, for instance, chatting to coworkers about work-related issues while engaging in protected conduct. Employees who were dismissed after complaining about their jobs online won a victory at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Whether or not the postings qualify as “protected concerted activity” is crucial in these situations.
However, your opinions won’t likely be protected if you’re just complaining that your boss is a jerk or about the customers. If you have grievances against your employer, think twice before venting on social media. Offline is typically where you’ll find a better answer to these problems.
Avoid utilizing social media at work
You could get into trouble if you use Facebook or Twitter while you should be working. While many companies don’t mind if you pop in for a brief check-in, there can be repercussions if you spend a lot of time on social media rather than working.
You’ll need a skilled employment law attorney on your side if you’ve been penalized or dismissed as a result of your social media usage. To schedule a consultation, call PLBH at (800) 435-7542 or send an email to info@plblaw.com right away.