While people used to meet around the water cooler to discuss current events and complain about their work, today people are increasingly turning to Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn for the same thing. This is just one of the ways that technology is becoming more prevalent in our society.
The trouble lies with people discussing their coworkers, bosses and/or their place of work in a bad light on social media. Unless they’re doing so through a private message, publicizing this kind of dirty laundry online can cast your workplace and employers in a bad light—for everyone to see.
For this reason, some companies are trying to make it possible to access their employees’ social media accounts to ensure that these types of activities cannot happen. While this can be seen as a valid reason from an employer’s perspective, many states have enacted laws that prohibit them from doing so since it is seen as a breach of privacy.
Additionally, there are also laws in place that protect employees who may say something negative online from getting fired or experiencing retaliation from their employer.
Nevertheless, we can all agree that posting something negative about your employer or coworkers on social media is never a wise decision. This same general rule holds true in personal injury or workers’ compensation lawsuits. For instance, find out why you should never discuss your auto accident on social media by continuing to read here.
Where do you stand on the issue? Should employers be able to use the law to request access to their employees’ social media accounts legally? Moreover, should employers be able to fire or otherwise punish employees if something negative is posted online?