Facebook

[DaveS]

This question came up on a Fishing Forum I belong to:

 

Do you think an employer should be able to visit your facebook page and then discipline you at work for something you said or did on Facebook?

 

 

I'm not working, but I think my Facebook page (and/or my personal life) is no business of my employer. I think he would hear some things he wouldn't want to! Looking on a potential new hire's Facebook page would be ok in my opinion. Trayvon Martin?

 

DaveS

Edited September 1, 2013 by DaveS

[mikegideon]

I think it's fair game. My boss is one of my friends.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

Sure, why not? If I was your employer and found out you were writing disparaging remarks about my company,

I'd fire you. Now, just for your remarks unrelated to business, it would be a different matter, like commenting

about certain PC things that your employer might disagree with.

 

Your Facebook page is out there in the open, isn't it?

 

If it's really personal, don't put it on the web. It becomes public, then.

Edited September 1, 2013 by 6.8 AR

[VERO1]

I am amazed at some of the stuff and pictures people post on Facebook and other social media sites. A little common sense can go a long way.

[R_Bert]

Open Source.

[Guest sL1k]

I actually had my boss finally get a smart phone and he downloaded the facebook app. Well if you are not familiar with this if you have the facebook app it shows you are online constantly. He actually brought up in a meeting about everyone being on facebook at work. Someone explained to him the way the app works and said "y'all still need to log off". I look at facebook maybe once or twice a week and never at work. I promptly unfriended him. Edited September 1, 2013 by sL1k

[TrickyNicky]

Pretty much what 6.8 said. Don't want your boss to see it, don't post it on the web.

One of the reasons I never went for MySpace or Facebook to begin with. If you do feel the social media itch, keep two pages, one for work the other for regular friends. That's what my sister does, she's a teacher in Brentwood and regularly friends her students parents and other coworkers. It's a great tool for her to be able to use to keep up with her students parents but somehow I tend to doubt that they'd be thrilled to read some of the things her other friends post regarding religion, sexuality, politics etc.

This way she can give advise on a students project at 9:30PM and keep up on a NSFW conversation with her friends at the same time.

[DaveS]

Nothing personal against anyone, but why would you add your "Boss" to your FB friend list?

 

DaveS

[Guest Wesley33]

Pretty much what 6.8 said. Don't want your boss to see it, don't post it on the web.

One of the reasons I never went for MySpace or Facebook to begin with. If you do feel the social media itch, keep two pages, one for work the other for regular friends. That's what my sister does, she's a teacher in Brentwood and regularly friends her students parents and other coworkers. It's a great tool for her to be able to use to keep up with her students parents but somehow I tend to doubt that they'd be thrilled to read some of the things her other friends post regarding religion, sexuality, politics etc.

This way she can give advise on a students project at 9:30PM and keep up on a NSFW conversation with her friends at the same time.

Having two separate pages was some advice I received from several mentors throughout my career. I believe it definitely has its perks. I have yet to do it, but I keep my facebook private and never post or say anything that I couldn't say to my boss or friends FTF.

 

Open source is what it is; if you post it on the web for the world to see, then your boss is just as able to see it as anybody. If any comments or remarks go against what that company stands for, then you should be subject to any reprimands that your boss see fits. You are responsible for your own actions plain and simple.

Edited September 1, 2013 by Wesley33

[R_Bert]

Of course, even here on TGO, the risk is present, maybe more so. There are some minimal controls on FB (including unfriending & blocking).  Here, we just hide behind an "identity".  Lose anonymity, and some real interesting comments can be tied back to the account holder.  None (most??) of if is admissible or actionable, but still solidifies opinion. 

 

B.

[TrickyNicky]

Could be a slow form of career suicide not to anymore?

Of course depending on your after work interests, it could be a fast form if you do.

[R_Bert]

Nothing personal against anyone, but why would you add your "Boss" to your FB friend list?

 

DaveS

 

It does not really matter.  One of your other "friends" will cut & paste, or log in for him.

[UncleJak]

I just recently got a fb. I will post nothing that I wouldn't want anyone to know. people need to remember that the internet doesn't forget.....ever.
That being said, anyone here wants to be my friend: facebook/jakfiddler
:)

sent barefoot from the hills of Tennessee

[Guest sL1k]

The boss added me lol. I figured why not.

[R_Bert]

Could be a slow form of career suicide not to anymore?

Of course depending on your after work interests, it could be a fast form if you do.

 

Nowadays, commentary on what some would consider core values will be detrimental.  Even remote stances on - 

 

- Pro-Life

- Defense of Marriage

- Pro-Christian

- Anti-terrorist

- Pro Second Amendment

- Anti-Grievance industry

- Pro self-reliance

- position on Global Warming

- Pro-Nuclear stance

 

are risky.

 

I am sure my viewpoints have lost a number of FB "friends", and I have experienced bias from certain personas and groups in my professional areas. Some sectors are downright vindictive in political correctness.

 

It happens.  The world is absolutely changing.

[Shug]

If you don't want everyone to see it then don't post it. If you put it out there for the world then there should be no regrets

[pitt2magic]

I have an average of 22-25 college students that work for me.  I have not and will not ask to befriend them on Facebook.  On the flipside I have had about a dozen of them request to be my friend and I will accept.  Not sure why they would want to be my friend but I find it to be a useful tool when one of the calls in sick then checks in at a downtown bar a few hours later.  Had one chick tell me she needed to be off for 2 weeks for a mission trip then began posting pics up on Daytona Beach with all her friends.  

[tnhawk]

I am amazed at some of the stuff and pictures people post on Facebook and other social media sites. A little common sense can go a long way.

Common sense isn't as common as it was in the past.

[mikegideon]

Nothing personal against anyone, but why would you add your "Boss" to your FB friend list?

 

DaveS

 

Same reason I would loan him one of my pistols. I like the guy.

[Mike.357]

I quit FB years ago.  I have no clue how it works any more.    But don't you control who can see your stuff there?   Can't you make it non-public?  And if so can't you simply deny having the thing?

 

I actually was never able to figure out how to actually delete my account, but was only able to suspend it.   I have never been back since that day and have no clue if i am "out there" still.   I am pretty sure they don't want anyone deleting accounts.

[Dennis1209]

My rule of thumb:

 

I won't say anything via computer, email, or letter I won't back up face-to-face.

[Guest patriot54]

Given how FB has provided our information to the Feds and their predatory marketing behavior, I would happily cancel my account if the family, being spread around the world, wasn't using it to stay in contact.  But I have limited the sharing of information to the extent they allow.

 

 

Mark

Edited September 1, 2013 by patriot54

[R_Bert]

I quit FB years ago.  I have no clue how it works any more.    But don't you control who can see your stuff there?   Can't you make it non-public?  And if so can't you simply deny having the thing?

 

I actually was never able to figure out how to actually delete my account, but was only able to suspend it.   I have never been back since that day and have no clue if i am "out there" still.   I am pretty sure they don't want anyone deleting accounts.

 

There are controls, but all are easily thwarted.

 

Anyone with a screen capture, or allowing access to viewing can subvert the security, much less other technical options for overcoming the security features.  It is, in effect - open source.

Edited September 2, 2013 by R_Bert

[npgunner]

It does not really matter. One of your other "friends" will cut & paste, or log in for him.

True story. A few of my friends at my old job got each other fired that way. It made me laugh. Then I posted about it on FB.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

It was funny how an employee would be online while he or she was on the tracks with me, on duty, and I'd remind them of it,

but they would stay online, knowing full well that a trainmaster or other boss would be on there looking around and could tell

when an employee was online. Dumbasses knew it was against company policy and CFR49. The company began to take it

seriously before some FRA inspector got involved and started handing out that $10k fine, and started giving them 30 or

more days on the street.

 

The managers at the railroad were encouraged to be members of Facebook. I wonder why? :D