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If I own a business and I PAY A SALARY to someone who is bad-mouthing me or my business, or behaving in a way that makes me or my business look bad, of course I would fire them. It wouldn't matter to me a bit if the negative remarks or actions were brought to light on a website, or at a party where people heard talk, or on television.
Here are two examples of "media" other than web-based social media where things happen that could be construed as "fireable":
The coach of the University of Southern California football team (a high-profile job paying in the millions) got drunk at a pre-season social event for university alumni. He addressed the audience with a microphone and with cameras running. He didn't say anything most of the alumni don't think themselves (e.g., they hate UCLA), but he swore a lot, yelled, and slurred his speech. A lot of the audience just laughed but there were children there, the event got on the sports news, and quite a few people were outraged. The school's Athletic Director (the coach's boss) didn't immediately think this was a fireable offense, but some of the big donors to the university disagreed. An "investigation" ensued and the coach was eventually let go.
In another sports-related example, Robert Griffin III used to be the first-string quarterback of the Washington Redskins. For a variety of reasons I won't get into, he's been sitting on the bench this year, not just second string, but third, and not even dressed for games much of the season. Last week, the Redskins played their arch-rivals the Dallas Cowboys. Griffin's family came to the Redskin's game attired in Dallas Cowboys jerseys with the name "RG III" emblazoned above the number. Needless to say, they got on television. Apparently, they meant this as a plea to the Cowboys' very rich owner to rescue their loved one from the Redskins. But despite the fact that the owner of the Redskins might or might not be treating RG III fairly, he is in fact PAYING HIM millions of dollars to sit on that bench. If I were in his shoes, I would fire RG III for that childish display from his family. If they want to contact the owner of the Cowboys and beg him to hire RG III from me, that's their business if they did it quietly. Making a huge display through the medium of television is not the same thing.
Both of those people no doubt have contracts with "conduct unbecoming" clauses in them. As a person in charge of either team, I would execute that aspect of the contract and they would be gone.
It seems to me that people are confusing freedom of speech" with "freedom of speech -- or whatever -- without consequences." And I also think the second part of this statement has been encouraged in many ways.
When I was a kid, if a child mouthed off to a teacher, he would be punished. In today's schools (or at least one of them), a kid can blow cigar (or possibly even marijuana) smoke in a teacher's face, and instead of the kid immediately being suspended for a few days (at the LEAST), the problem is kicked upstairs to the school district and possibly other authorities.
Here's the thing though. If I say something privately at home or at a party away from work it's private. Now say that thing in public and I have a harder time saying "I didn't say that." Posting on social media, is doing things in public. I have a picture or two I have been tagged with where I have a drink in my hand. One was a toast for my brother at an engagement party where him, our father and I took a sip of a sealed Jim Beam bottle that was some 30 years old. Not knowing the context, some employer may see this and think, Oh I don't want to hire mkpunk, they're a lush or fire me if I have the job already, despite it not being the truth. This is why I watch what I say, how I say it and what pictures go on my twitter and facebook.
Just don't use your real name or post photos of yourself on FB and you can say whatever you want.
Look at all the posts from people who claim they would fire an employee for doing something stupid on social media.
Yes, I can see it's gotten off the topic of this particular young woman. I doubt most newcomers are aware of that though, and it bugs me because they think the girl was fired for social media posts since her story was used as the example for the thread.
It is reported a woman was fired from her job for making a twitter post about a another patron of a restaurant who became ill on New Year's Eve.
Is it smart to have your employment location sitting right next to your name when you post things online? And then, when the angry masses read the crazy stuff you write, and decide to boycott your place of employment or throw eggs at it - because of your stupidity - is that fair to the business?
Don't put your job title next to your name. Whatever you say then comes off as being from a representative of that company. This woman's employer probably got angry protest calls because of this idiot's insensitive post. Probably a lot of REVENGE calls to, from restaurant employees. Because I really doubt her boss was checking her facebook page.
If it's good and right to be held responsible for everything posted online -- during one's personal time -- then I suggest those people begin posting their name, address, and telephone number on each of their posts here on City-Data. Let those people test the waters and start seeing what happens to freedom of speech once they put their name to their words. Because here's my guess -- a lot of those businesses can do anything they want with their employees people -- based on their City-Data posts -- are going to become unemployed.
So what do you do about all other people posting about you ? As I said earlier, with the advent of facial recognition and Facebook and Google prompting users to tag everyone in their photos - whether these people have a social account or not - your public actions are no longer anonymous and it will only get worse. 10-20 years from now I should be able to click on any random face in any random photo and get their name and address.. unless it's made illegal. Right now, the number of my photos posted by someone else - some people I barely know - by far exceeds the number of my photos that I posted (I don't like myself in photos, to be honest). Nothing revealing, just some boring stuff, but the fact is they posted my photos and tagged me with my full name & a very simple facial recognition algorithm can now cross-reference my name to some photos where I was not tagged.
Guess what... it applies to anyone.
If you think that you can hide from the spotlight by not stepping into it yourself, you're wrong.
And going back to your second statement:
What kind of a lawsuit would there be against her place of employment if she acted poorly in a private life situation ? I know someone who works for Ford and is a complete jerk, does it mean I will boycott Ford cars ?
Besides, people get upset over things other than acting stupid. Pro-gay people get upset at anti-gay people and vs versus. Pro-Obama people dislike anti-Obama people. Pro-2A people dislike anti-2A people. I'd say that nowadays, people get offended by political views they don't agree with far more often than they are by someone being a jerk.
If I live in a predominantly anti-abortion area and I make a statement on Facebook supporting legal abortions, should I be fired from my job because the majority of people in that area are going to be offended ?
If I live in a predominantly Democratic area and make a statement that I don't like Obama and his divisive policies, should I be fired because the majority of people would be offended by that ?
What if I drive with a political sticker on my bumper that goes against the views of the people who make up a majority of my employer's customers ? Is it OK to be fired over that ? What if I never take this car to work and only drive it on the weekends and someone posts a photo of it on the Facebook an tags it with my name ? Should my employer be able to fire me for that ?
Can't you see where it is leading us to ?
Here's the thing. If you choose the behavior, you choose the consequences. Why the heck would a sensible person put anything on public media? Some people out there, me being one of them, avoid that stuff because what we think or do is nobody's business. So, if you are so eager to share every stupid facet of your life with strangers, don't expect a different outcome.
I was raised in an era where a lady was only in the paper when she married and when she died. I'm still good with that. Fast forward to now, when girls think its super fun to post a selfie of themselves in a bikini. Girls, please get some self respect.
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