- Jun 5, 2005
- 6,893
- 63
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So this topic will actually strike pretty close to me...Because it is happening to me.
So I'd like to say the discussion will be about what happens to me and of course where ever this discussion goes.
I'll start by positing a question or two. How many of you have ever posted about work? Even as innocent as a today work sucks type post on any of the major social media sites? And if you have do you take caution about what you post? Which leads to does your company have a specific policy about mentioning work on said social media sites?
To answer my own questions...yes I have posted about work before. Usually about something humorous or annoying that I encountered in my shift or on occasion a funny quote from a coworker. And I'm usually hyper cautious because I work for a hospital and obviously want to protect my patients.
As far a social media policy. I'm not sure they have one. But I'm suspended from work until further notice and may now potentially lose my job. I still don't know because when HR suspended me and my boss told me it is under review because HR isn't sure of the exact policy I violated but that the matter is serious enough that I need to not be around patients. Nor did they have any policies to show me nor any paperwork stating why I was being suspended.
My boss told it was from a series of 3 posts on facebook over the weekend that I made and one I made 10 (!!) months ago. The first two I named two of our physicians by name and posted the joke each had made in normal conversation. Essentially both made goofy situational jokes I posted those jokes and attributed them for these jokes.
The third post this weekend which I don't remember verbatim because I deleted it 3 days after posting it essentially stated maybe you shouldnt be an ER doctor if you can't follow ACLS protocol (which isbecause how to save someone in cardiac arrest in a hospital setting)
Last thing was from 10 months when I posted the ER is not Burger King you can't have it your way. This one makes me mad because it means someone is just clearly digging for any dirt on me at this point. And my boss said another staff member brought this to HRs attention.
Mind you my Facebook profile is pretty much impossible to find I've got all my privacy settings to max unless we are friends. At this point I'm waiting to see whether or not I'll have a job or not.
My thoughts on the matter...basically I feel like this is a witch hunt and a possible violation of my right to free speech even my boss said "I'm wondering what your free speech rights are because I don't see anything overly objectable."
I tend to agree with her. I mentioned no names no company. Were they maybe uncouth, yeah I admit that. I was angry about the not following protocol but has it come to the point that we can't vent anywhere at any time?? And before anyone mentions it I realize I work nonunion at a private company and they fire me for lots of reasons I'm not certain I agree with this being one of them. What harm did I inflict upon the company? None that I can reasonably identify.
Moreover at some point this whole idea of social media and corporations and free speech is going to come to a legal head. If you've got a corporate policy thats great but I think the line between free speech and potentially firing someone for an angry vent is thin and fraught with peril. What do you guys think? Am I talking out of my rear end or am I bringing a valid area of jobplace peril?
So I'd like to say the discussion will be about what happens to me and of course where ever this discussion goes.
I'll start by positing a question or two. How many of you have ever posted about work? Even as innocent as a today work sucks type post on any of the major social media sites? And if you have do you take caution about what you post? Which leads to does your company have a specific policy about mentioning work on said social media sites?
To answer my own questions...yes I have posted about work before. Usually about something humorous or annoying that I encountered in my shift or on occasion a funny quote from a coworker. And I'm usually hyper cautious because I work for a hospital and obviously want to protect my patients.
As far a social media policy. I'm not sure they have one. But I'm suspended from work until further notice and may now potentially lose my job. I still don't know because when HR suspended me and my boss told me it is under review because HR isn't sure of the exact policy I violated but that the matter is serious enough that I need to not be around patients. Nor did they have any policies to show me nor any paperwork stating why I was being suspended.
My boss told it was from a series of 3 posts on facebook over the weekend that I made and one I made 10 (!!) months ago. The first two I named two of our physicians by name and posted the joke each had made in normal conversation. Essentially both made goofy situational jokes I posted those jokes and attributed them for these jokes.
The third post this weekend which I don't remember verbatim because I deleted it 3 days after posting it essentially stated maybe you shouldnt be an ER doctor if you can't follow ACLS protocol (which isbecause how to save someone in cardiac arrest in a hospital setting)
Last thing was from 10 months when I posted the ER is not Burger King you can't have it your way. This one makes me mad because it means someone is just clearly digging for any dirt on me at this point. And my boss said another staff member brought this to HRs attention.
Mind you my Facebook profile is pretty much impossible to find I've got all my privacy settings to max unless we are friends. At this point I'm waiting to see whether or not I'll have a job or not.
My thoughts on the matter...basically I feel like this is a witch hunt and a possible violation of my right to free speech even my boss said "I'm wondering what your free speech rights are because I don't see anything overly objectable."
I tend to agree with her. I mentioned no names no company. Were they maybe uncouth, yeah I admit that. I was angry about the not following protocol but has it come to the point that we can't vent anywhere at any time?? And before anyone mentions it I realize I work nonunion at a private company and they fire me for lots of reasons I'm not certain I agree with this being one of them. What harm did I inflict upon the company? None that I can reasonably identify.
Moreover at some point this whole idea of social media and corporations and free speech is going to come to a legal head. If you've got a corporate policy thats great but I think the line between free speech and potentially firing someone for an angry vent is thin and fraught with peril. What do you guys think? Am I talking out of my rear end or am I bringing a valid area of jobplace peril?
