Consequences of Social Media at Work

With social media becoming an increasingly substantial part of normal day to day operations, the line between an individual’s personal, private social media profile or blog and the individual’s work life has blurred. More and more, reports of employers disciplining or terminating employees based on the employee’s Facebook posts or pictures, Tweets or blog posts. Natalie Munroe, a Pennsylvania teacher, filed suit against the school district from which she was fired for violating her right to free speech. Although the school board cites performance difficulties as the trigger for Munroe’s termination, her firing and subsequent lawsuit follow a long controversy between Munroe and the school district over her blog “Where Are We Going & Why Are We in this Hand Basket.”

In the blog started last year, the honors English teacher, complained about and criticized her students, the faculty and the administrators. In certain blog posts, Munroe even included comments that she wished she could have included on student evaluations, such as, “I hear the trash company is hiring.” and “Don’t you know how to raise kids?” When Munroe refused to take down the blog, she was suspended. Though her suspension was later lifted due to contract-stipulated rights, Munroe claims that the school district brought her back to fail.

Whatever else lawsuits such as Munroe’s may stand for, they reinforce the rule that individuals need to be careful with the information they publicly disclose.

Source: http://www.nataliemunroe.com/ http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/philly-area-teacher-fired-her-controversial-blog-sues-211207163.html

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