My coworker was fired for a negative post about the company on Facebook

The post in question has since been scrubbed but the text was "[Company] needs to get its shit together. I feel like I've been getting kicked in the ass every day for the last few months. This call volume is ridiculous."


Got a notice from the COO. "As of an hour ago, [co-worker] is no longer with the company. Private conversations between employees are just that: private. When posts that paint [Company] in an unprofessional manner move to public forums such as social media, that changes.I know you're all feeling the volume right now, and I appreciate all the hard work to manage it. Happy to answer any questions should you have them. Thanks! "

I've heard of this sort of thing happening before, but seeing it actually happen is bizarre. Especially over such a lukewarm post.
 
Got a notice from the COO. "As of an hour ago, [co-worker] is no longer with the company. Private conversations between employees are just that: private. When posts that paint [Company] in an unprofessional manner move to public forums such as social media, that changes.I know you're all feeling the volume right now, and I appreciate all the hard work to manage it. Happy to answer any questions should you have them. Thanks! "

See, they could have just spoken to the guy and told him exactly that. then sent out a reminder about whats not acceptable to post on social media.

Now that fired guy should go full Streisand effect and post his story about getting fired and the company name all over the place like Reddit.

Also, don't have your managers on your social media accounts.
 
Seems heavy for a first offense, the post is Inappropriate but not super offensive.

Generally smart people do not publicly bite the hand that feeds, so perhaps he was on the Bubble already.
 
..what? Since when is it okay to shit talk your employer in public? Granted it wasn't extreme at all and he could've gotten a warning instead, but that's 100% what I'd expect any company to do.
 
..what? Since when is it okay to shit talk your employer in public? Granted it wasn't extreme at all and he could've gotten a warning instead, but that's 100% what I'd expect any company to do.
Now he's an ex employee he can shit talk them on Glassdoor as a warning to potential applicants.
 
Isn't that kind of behavior unacceptable in the first place? Why didn't this person talk to someone in the company instead? Though being laid off for a first offense is quite severe...unless this person already had previous issues prior.
 
Don't post stuff online you don't want the world to see; You included here OP.

I work in a restaurant and I've seen people fired over posting tips or posting our expo screen showing 40 minute food time.
I lived in NY and moved to FL and both are at-will employment, which as far as I've known they can fire me for blinking wrong, though to be fair I can do the same.
Don't talk shit about your job on a public space. Simple.
 
Our HR manager commented how cooperative we've all been with the regular mandatory Covid tests. I responded with "do we really have a choice lol?"
 
If you want to vent about your job on social media, you could probably do it without calling the company out by name. Both parties seem like babies though tbh. How long did this person work for the company? Male or female?
 
Downing your current employer on social media is a pretty stupid act if you care about being an active employee, regardless of how you feel about it. You don't have to post everything just because you think it.
 
The post in question has since been scrubbed but the text was "[Company] needs to get its shit together. I feel like I've been getting kicked in the ass every day for the last few months. This call volume is ridiculous."


Got a notice from the COO. "As of an hour ago, [co-worker] is no longer with the company. Private conversations between employees are just that: private. When posts that paint [Company] in an unprofessional manner move to public forums such as social media, that changes.I know you're all feeling the volume right now, and I appreciate all the hard work to manage it. Happy to answer any questions should you have them. Thanks! "

I've heard of this sort of thing happening before, but seeing it actually happen is bizarre. Especially over such a lukewarm post.

She just gave them a good reason to fire her. You dont talk bad in public over your own company. She can post it now on those job review sites. ;)
 
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Now he's an ex employee he can shit talk them on Glassdoor as a warning to potential applicants.
wouldn't be much different than what she was already doing?

can't talk bad about the company. maybe it's a bit harsh but welcome to the real world lady
 
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i dunno if you're actively making the company look bad especially on social media that's basically negative advertising.

they could give her an ultimatum to take it down but that's in someway worse because it could be seen as impeding someone's speech so firing her seems like less of a violation of civil liberties oddly.
 
wouldn't be much different than what she was already doing?

can't talk bad about the company. maybe it's a bit harsh but welcome to the real world lady

Difference is that it's a website specifically designed for people looking for inside feedback on companies. Much more visible than some randos facebook page.
 
And this is why i don't add coworkers on any of my social media anymore. Sorry to hear about your friend, OP. :(

Erh,
you don't add co-workers because you are unemployed.

Anyway, what is it we have been told every day over the last several years:
"freedom of speech does not mean freedom from consequences"
 
Check your company social media policy. Don't break it. Here is an example from mine. I can tell you now, if that employee came to me asking was it OK to post, the answer would be no. Although a disciplinary would take place, firing on first instance wouldn't be acceptable either.

Engage only in appropriate discussions where you are comfortable and knowledgeable about the topic. Make sure to share only information that is publicly available.

If you are unsure if information is publicly available or is otherwise inappropriate to post, contact Communications before posting any such information.

What you write is ultimately your responsibility. Use common sense and exercise even greater caution with social media than you would with any other form of communication.

If you are about to publish something that makes you the slightest bit uncomfortable then don't. Discuss it with your manager or contact Communications. Remember once placed online it cannot be taken back and can stay searchable and retrievable for a long time to a broad audience.
 
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The management showed their true colors. Time for you to quit, OP. Maybe start a competitor company with your coworker and get revenge by outperforming them.

SUCH A LUST FOR REVENGE
 
The real question is which turd in your office snitched on him.

This is truth.

When I (and 24 fellow workers) were made redundant a few years ago, we were warned of such a thing during the redundancy consultation. A few that were not being made redundant were on our facebook friends list so we wonder who told them. And it's not as if we mentioned the company by name too.

We all felt quite violated at that - we had worked there for years (in my case, 15 years) - we know each other almost like family - we've been to other workmates weddings etc. To have someone who you know and trust on FB as a friend dob you in like that to management is fucked up. Its just another thing that made the whole process more disappointing.
 
This is bulkshit and said it since the crusade against a Adam Orth.

You are a person, you are entitled to believe and feel as you do. When you get home and do whatever on your own time should be your own business, until you are back on the clock.

It is unfair to hVe your company want you to tow the company line, while you aren't getting paid.

if they want you to be an employee 24/7 they need to pay you 24/7.
 
I don't like that the company fired your coworker, but I understand why they did so and think that the action was one of multiple fair penalties that were applicable to your coworker's infraction. The company was paying your coworker for her services and her allegiance; hence, she was wrong for openly insulting the company. She should have expressed her grievance privately to her superiors rather than embarrass the company on social media.

Only complaints about human and civil rights violations or other unethical treatment or conduct by an employer should be conveyed to the public.
 
See no issue's with this. Guy is there to push the company forwards or keep it moving. the boss isn't hiring and paying people to shit on his company.

Incredible dumb guy.
 
The solution to many problems is to not use social media.

I would have fired them too by the way. Putting up a banner in the town square badmouthing your company as an employee isn't very smart.
 
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I don't have who I work for on my Facebook and I don't comment on anything related to my line of work as you don't know who has screen capped or bot scraped the post

only way to be safe these days as everyone's a closet social justice warrior
 
See no issue's with this. Guy is there to push the company forwards or keep it moving. the boss isn't hiring and paying people to shit on his company.

Incredible dumb guy.

100%. Also we need access to smartphone mics to make sure employees are only saying good stuff. Or maybe an implant, because people can turn phones off.
 
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"This call volume is ridiculous" is what did it, I would wager. You can't undermine the company's brand , which surely includes its call center support line. Especially in times of high volume, you are not supposed to say that it is high volume. It signals to the customers that the company is cutting corners in order to absorb as much profit as possible.

I'm not saying your friend is right or wrong about the call volume itself, but that's likely what did it.
 
Well you shouldn't do that when you're still working there and want to keep your job. Some companies can even fire people for posting "unpopular opinions" on Facebook or other social media sites. In my opinion unless you're a public person or work directly in social media it's best to avoid having an account or at least make it more private and stick with posting innocent stuff like holiday pics (although not when you're out sick ;)).
 
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100%. Also we need access to smartphone mics to make sure employees are only saying good stuff. Or maybe an implant, because people can turn phones off.

U can laugh all you want. But when u own a business and one of your workers that u pay is shitting on your company on social media of all places. See how u will care about the person. U will cancel his ass faster then light.

If he has issue's with the company, adress this within the company itself and if the problems cant be resolved search work elsewhere. Going to social media and shit on your boss is as bad as it gets and probably will result in you finding work in other places extremely hard. As company's don't particularly like people like those.
 
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ESH. Employee should be more intelligent than to air dirty laundry in public. Employer should have given them a dressing down and put them on final warning.
 
Social media is cancer.

It's made to look at thots and pictures of kittens, not to vent. If you vent, they'll have you bent.
 
Gotta separate church and state. If you want to bitch them out, do it with friends privately or via an anonymous account.
 
U can laugh all you want. But when u own a business and one of your workers that u pay is shitting on your company on social media of all places. See how u will care about the person. U will cancel his ass faster then light.

If he has issue's with the company, adress this within the company itself and if the problems cant be resolved search work elsewhere. Going to social media and shit on your boss is as bad as it gets and probably will result in you finding work in other places extremely hard. As company's don't particularly like people like those.

fair dues.
 
while I agree she should not have air the dirty laundry with the company name out in the public, is it legal for the company to fire her like that thou? feels kinda iffy and she might be able to suit them.
 
This is bulkshit and said it since the crusade against a Adam Orth.

You are a person, you are entitled to believe and feel as you do. When you get home and do whatever on your own time should be your own business, until you are back on the clock.

It is unfair to hVe your company want you to tow the company line, while you aren't getting paid.

if they want you to be an employee 24/7 they need to pay you 24/7.

you don't have to "tow the company line"!
You just need to not publicly cut the line and say it's a shitty useless line run by morons.

Don't bite the hand that feeds.
 
The post in question has since been scrubbed but the text was "[Company] needs to get its shit together. I feel like I've been getting kicked in the ass every day for the last few months. This call volume is ridiculous."


Got a notice from the COO. "As of an hour ago, [co-worker] is no longer with the company. Private conversations between employees are just that: private. When posts that paint [Company] in an unprofessional manner move to public forums such as social media, that changes.I know you're all feeling the volume right now, and I appreciate all the hard work to manage it. Happy to answer any questions should you have them. Thanks! "

I've heard of this sort of thing happening before, but seeing it actually happen is bizarre. Especially over such a lukewarm post.
I think terminating employees for things like this is kinda dumb. However, Social Media is sort of a soapbox for defaming people you don't like including employers. Every company I worked for in the U.S. warned us to deal with problems privately. They all had the ability to fire someone for defaming remarks on Facebook or wherever else it was provable. I haven't checked laws in Illinois since I left but they used to have a termination law which allowed them to fire for no reason whatsoever.

I know that if I fought with my boss here in Mexico and he reads about it from a co-workers Facebook...he'd be missed enough to fire me. Not sticking up for corporates but...they're the ones paying you and social media has been used time again for slander.
 
If you are having issues, go directly to your manager. If you still have issues, leave and go somewhere else. Just be sure to find a new job before you leave.
 
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