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Paralegals & Legal Secretaries

: Practical Paralegalism

How to Get Fired on Facebook 101

By Lynne DeVenny

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Even though I recommend Facebook as a great way to network and get to know your friends, family and other professionals better, Facebook is not for the faint of heart - or those who like to pour their hearts out via social media.

Fellow North Carolinian Ashley Johnson found that out the hard way. According to The Charlotte Observer, she lost her lucrative waitress job at Brixx Pizza after she posted a status update complaining about a couple that she felt stiffed her on her tip - and mentioned the restaurant by name.

Brixx has a company policy against complaining publicly about customers and "casting the restaurant in a bad light on a social network." Johnson has apologized and told The Observer, "...I had no idea that something that, to me is very small, could result in my losing my job."

There's no word on how Johnson was busted by Brixx, whether she was friends with co-workers who reported back to her supervisors - or the supervisors themselves - or if her privacy settings allowed more users than she thought access to her profile.

Facebook can enrich both your personal and professional life - by following some basic social media rules for self-preservation:

Check your Facebook privacy settings carefully - you might be surprised by who can see your profile.

But assume anyone can see your profile, and post information accordingly.

Don't post any information that you wouldn't reveal in a live setting, such as at a PTA meeting, business conference or work.

Never post negative information about your employer, your customers or your business colleagues.

Know your employer's social media policies.

The same advice goes for Twitter, which was another employee's downfall after she inadvertently tweeted (read "publicly blabbed") about her formerly anonymous sex blog - using her real name.

Oops.

The golden social media advice from The Delaware Employment Law Blog is, "...if you put it on the Internet, you'd better assume that your boss is going to see it and is going to hold you accountable."

Sources: msnbc.com; The Charlotte Observer

Full post as published by Practical Paralegalism on May 17, 2010 (boomark / email).