Facebooking while out sick gets employee fired...

[Zim Hosein]

CNET previously reported that Facebook users risk having a lower GPA. Now, according to Reuters and other sources, using the social-networking site could have another unpleasant side effect: getting you fired. At least that's what happened to a Swiss insurance worker who lost her job after surfing Facebook while out sick, her employer said Friday.

The unnamed woman said she had to be away from her monitor lying in the dark, but was then seen to be active on Facebook. Insurance company Nationale Suisse said in a statement that behavior had destroyed its trust in the employee.

"This abuse of trust, rather than the activity on Facebook, led to the ending of the work contract," a spokesman for the firm said.

The woman admitted to having used Facebooked on her iPhone, but accused the insurance company of spying on her by sending a mysterious friend request that made the company see her activities. The company denied the accusation and said a colleague stumbled over her activity, before Nationale Suisse banned use of the popular site in the company.

But she said she is not suing the company and that she is happy to have gotten a neutral termination letter and doesn't want to go back. "My trust for this employer is gone," the 31-year-old woman told Swiss daily newspaper 20 Minuten.

"Facebook is dead for me," she added.

This isn't the first time we've heard a discussion about losing a job due to Facebook use. Those scared of that destiny might want to watch this CNET TV video: Don't let Facebook get you fired.

Facebooking while out sick gets employee fired...

Lot's of trust lost in this story!

 

[BudAshes]

that is pretty stupid of the company. Oh noes she used her cell phone while home sick...

 

[mxyzptlk]

so her reason for being out sick was specifically that she couldn't be in front of a computer monitor? What exactly is that called, because I'm certain that I'm coming down with a wicked case of it right now..

 

[FelixDeCat]

And let that be a warning to the rest of you Facebookers! :|

 

[nakedfrog]

Kinda misleading, Facebook's role was mostly incidental.

 

[AreaCode707]

If she was out on a sick day, her time was her own. Sounds like the company was looking for an excuse to get rid of her.

 

[hanoverphist]

i can see that, she couldnt go to work since she couldnt be in front of the monitor. sounds like a migraine attack or eye issues. using the net on an iphone would pretty much tell me she was ok to go back to work, but i doubt i would fire her over it. maybe a talking to, maybe something more severe, but not firing. and the trust level would be lower too.

 

[Zim Hosein]

Originally posted by: AreaCode707
If she was out on a sick day, her time was her own. Sounds like the company was looking for an excuse to get rid of her.

Sure it's her time but she was out from work beause:

The unnamed woman said she had to be away from her monitor lying in the dark, but was then seen to be active on Facebook.

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: nakedfrog
Kinda misleading, Facebook's role was mostly incidental.

insurance companies have always fucked people over for less

 

[HardcoreRobot]

companies shouldnt even be required to give a reason for firing a person

 

[AreaCode707]

Originally posted by: Zim Hosein

Originally posted by: AreaCode707
If she was out on a sick day, her time was her own. Sounds like the company was looking for an excuse to get rid of her.

Sure it's her time but she was out from work beause:

The unnamed woman said she had to be away from her monitor lying in the dark, but was then seen to be active on Facebook.

Would the company have granted her the sick day if she just said she was feeling poorly? If so, they have no room to talk. Have they required all employees to provide detailed reasons/doctors' notes for their sick days? If so, they're probably in the clear. If not, she actually would have decent grounds for a lawsuit (not that I'd recommend it; too many dumb lawsuits out there as it is.)

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: Zim Hosein

Originally posted by: AreaCode707
If she was out on a sick day, her time was her own. Sounds like the company was looking for an excuse to get rid of her.

Sure it's her time but she was out from work beause:

The unnamed woman said she had to be away from her monitor lying in the dark, but was then seen to be active on Facebook.

can't say i blame the insurance company. i hated it when people would claim to be sick jufr or a day off. i fyou needed a day off tell me. be honest about it.

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: HardcoreRobot
companies shouldnt even be required to give a reason for firing a person

slippery...

 

[Eos]

How can they prove it was her?

 

[dighn]

Originally posted by: hanoverphist
i can see that, she couldnt go to work since she couldnt be in front of the monitor. sounds like a migraine attack or eye issues. using the net on an iphone would pretty much tell me she was ok to go back to work, but i doubt i would fire her over it. maybe a talking to, maybe something more severe, but not firing. and the trust level would be lower too.

I don't think it that unreasonable. Maybe she couldn't (ok, wasn't comfortable enough to) to stare at a screen for 8+ hours in an office environment, but that doesn't mean she couldn't briefly check her phone or god forbid her personal computer occasionally. Very different imo.

I've definitely had days where I didn't feel comfortable enough to go to work (a bad headache for example), but it didn't mean I was completely disabled for the day.

 

[Zim Hosein]

Originally posted by: AreaCode707

Originally posted by: Zim Hosein

Originally posted by: AreaCode707
If she was out on a sick day, her time was her own. Sounds like the company was looking for an excuse to get rid of her.

Sure it's her time but she was out from work beause:

The unnamed woman said she had to be away from her monitor lying in the dark, but was then seen to be active on Facebook.

Would the company have granted her the sick day if she just said she was feeling poorly? If so, they have no room to talk. Have they required all employees to provide detailed reasons/doctors' notes for their sick days? If so, they're probably in the clear. If not, she actually would have decent grounds for a lawsuit (not that I'd recommend it; too many dumb lawsuits out there as it is.)

While I don't have all the facts, it doesn't sound like she was out on just a sick day but some type of "medical leave."

 

[darkxshade]

I don't have a facebook account but this is ridiculous. I stare at a computer at work for 8 hours a day doing work. If I call out sick and use the computer for a bit, that gets me fired? There's a big difference between not being able to work effecively for 8 hours vs using it while resting. What if she instead shot an email to a co-worker to do something for her at work while she's out? That would be proof she used a computer too, would she be fired then?

 

[HardcoreRobot]

Originally posted by: Goosemaster

Originally posted by: HardcoreRobot
companies shouldnt even be required to give a reason for firing a person

slippery...

not to me

if a company hires and fires on any basis other than skill/value to company, they aren't going last

 

[MetalMat]

She should have just said she had the runs.

 

[dighn]

Originally posted by: HardcoreRobot

Originally posted by: Goosemaster

Originally posted by: HardcoreRobot
companies shouldnt even be required to give a reason for firing a person

slippery...

not to me

if a company hires and fires on any basis other than skill/value to company, they aren't going last

neither would a company that treats its employees like crap and consequently fail to inspire any sort of loyalty from them.

 

[sactoking]

Originally posted by: AreaCode707
Would the company have granted her the sick day if she just said she was feeling poorly? If so, they have no room to talk. Have they required all employees to provide detailed reasons/doctors' notes for their sick days? If so, they're probably in the clear. If not, she actually would have decent grounds for a lawsuit (not that I'd recommend it; too many dumb lawsuits out there as it is.)

Actually, it kinda works the opposite of what you think. If an employee says "I'm sick" or "I'm not feeling well", that's a subjective statement. The employer really can't challenge it too easily. Get caught surfing Facebook? Just say you needed to stay home so you didn't infect coworkers.

If the employee says "I have cancer and need to take a week to go to the Mayo Clinic for treatment" and her boss sees her at a resort in Sao Paolo, that's grounds for instant termination.

From both an employers and employees standpoint, the more specific you are the more likely you are to be in trouble.

 

[AreaCode707]

Originally posted by: Zim Hosein

Originally posted by: AreaCode707

Originally posted by: Zim Hosein

Originally posted by: AreaCode707
If she was out on a sick day, her time was her own. Sounds like the company was looking for an excuse to get rid of her.

Sure it's her time but she was out from work beause:

The unnamed woman said she had to be away from her monitor lying in the dark, but was then seen to be active on Facebook.

Would the company have granted her the sick day if she just said she was feeling poorly? If so, they have no room to talk. Have they required all employees to provide detailed reasons/doctors' notes for their sick days? If so, they're probably in the clear. If not, she actually would have decent grounds for a lawsuit (not that I'd recommend it; too many dumb lawsuits out there as it is.)

While I don't have all the facts, it doesn't sound like she was out on just a sick day but some type of "medical leave."

Ah, FMLA is a different story, requires much more documentation and evidence. The company would have to be really bitchy to nail her for five minutes online. If she was hanging out all day, then I can see it.

 

[Ns1]

That's fucking retarded. You can sit on a laptop taking care of your sick mother y'know.

 

[Pepsei]

companies should just get rid of sick days and add to PTO's.... then it doesn't matter.

 

[zebano]

Originally posted by: AreaCode707

Originally posted by: Zim Hosein

Originally posted by: AreaCode707
If she was out on a sick day, her time was her own. Sounds like the company was looking for an excuse to get rid of her.

Sure it's her time but she was out from work beause:

The unnamed woman said she had to be away from her monitor lying in the dark, but was then seen to be active on Facebook.

Would the company have granted her the sick day if she just said she was feeling poorly? If so, they have no room to talk. Have they required all employees to provide detailed reasons/doctors' notes for their sick days? If so, they're probably in the clear. If not, she actually would have decent grounds for a lawsuit (not that I'd recommend it; too many dumb lawsuits out there as it is.)

My guess is that they wanted her to work from home and she said she couldn't.