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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Fired over facebook

120 replies

scruffybird · 23/06/2011 13:22

I am in an awful position and wonder if any of you knowledgable ladies can help.
I work in a school and am under investigation for writing on facebook about my feelings after a recent school event.
Sorry don't feel I can go into too much detail on here. But I did not name anyone or the school.
I am worried they can get rid of me for gross misconduct and that I will not be able to then get references for my next job.
Any advice?

OP posts:
stubbornhubby · 23/06/2011 14:10

important -- don't make it any worse by writing more about the incident here.

superjobeespecs · 23/06/2011 14:10

i used to work in a large department store and we were warned that any details of instore happenings etc could result in counselling or sacking.

a load of the warehouse staff were mucking about some took photos of it a few ended up on facebook- not a problem. till in 1 of them you could see a guys name badge and the name of our store.

11 out of 13 warehouse staff were fired.

Deaddei · 23/06/2011 14:11

I have just been talking to schoolchildren about the dangers of Facebook, and they are 11........
You seem very sorry and remorseful, and obviously it's a worrying situation for you.
But yes I think Yabu.
Having said that, I hope you keep your job and it resolves itself....but don't do it again!!!

BeerTricksPotter · 23/06/2011 14:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LostMyIdentityAlongTheWay · 23/06/2011 14:12

@Mona, whereas OP has been careless, it is NOT professional to slag off one's workplace in public. Would you do it if your boss was sat next to you down the pub? No, and you'd expect a reprimand if you did. And rightly so, 100%
FB is different - more public, thus much worse.

I agree with Euphemia inasmuch as OP has been very silly - but still resolutely sticking to the sympathy line!!

ChunkyMonkeyMother · 23/06/2011 14:12

Just a quick note on this - Recently the LEA here have put out a "Facebook user policy" which states lots of do's and dont's (Some handy - some obvious - some a bit OTT IMO) and each member of staff has to sign it - now there is a strict policy in place, if you mention the name of the school/pupil/colleague you are out.
Unless you have signed something to that effect I would say its doubtful they could fire you for it, unless you included names, places, specific threats etc - If they do I would go for the unfair dismissal if thats what you believe. However this subject has come up time and time again - perhaps employers are getting sick of warning people.
Lastly check your privacy settings, I know I would be miffed if I came across my DS's nursery staffs Fbooks and they had been bitching about work - not hard seeing as I know all of their names etc.

Good luck X

whoneedssleepanyway · 23/06/2011 14:13

some people come on AIBU as they know they will get lots of responses, there is a time and a place to call a spade a spade and the OP has asked for advice not for opinions on whether she has been stupid or not.

Pedallleur · 23/06/2011 14:14

I sympathize with OP but it's a public site!! Anyone can log in and read what people say. The press can print whatever and get away with it occasionally but still get fined etc. People seem to think that they can use Twatter/Facecloth to say whatever....you can't. To the OP - take the advice and shut everything down - get any comments off any sites incl.this one until you are in the clear. Be aware that if you lose your job you may still be bound by any cause the employer may tie you to.

corygal · 23/06/2011 14:15

Yes, you can be fired. Yes, it's mean.

Call Acas and discuss it with them. 08457 47 47 47.

Get rid of anything you can from the offending material, but ring Acas first.

Tortu · 23/06/2011 14:17

Join a union NOW.

MrSpoc · 23/06/2011 14:19

The only thing they can fire you over is bringing the school into disripute or showing them in a bad light (something along these lines).

I would start by saying that they were not identifiable as a school by outsiders. (unless it was a well publicised event type thing).

I would also say under the human rights act that you are entitled to a family & private life. So facebook is you business.

I would also fall back on your schools IT policy and if they have anything about FB. If not then they dont have a leg to stand on.

Good luck. Also ring ACAS for advice.

youarekidding · 23/06/2011 14:20

For those of you who work at schools make sure you don't have school name as place of work as mentioned above. Mine says x county council. I'm pretty sure thats close to the line but I don't mention work as policy forbids me.

I read an article the other day about someone who was dismissed for writing something on facebook along of lines of 'not sure I can do my job much longer'. It was a demanding carer role. Her employers sacked her - I would have thought some support would have been better? She won just short of 15K on unfair dismissal. (was default though as they failed to turn up Hmm)

TotemPole · 23/06/2011 14:23

I assume the OP has a facebook account in her real name, so people would be able to work out which school.

MrSpoc · 23/06/2011 14:26

Totem unless she has acutally named her school as her career/ company on her profile or has told everyone on her account where she works then no one would know. Unless it was a fellow teacher who is also a facebook freind. In that case block them.

meditrina · 23/06/2011 14:30

MrSpock: Or unless the school has a published staff list?

It would be wrong to pin all hoes on presence/absence of a FB policy. Those policies to not bring any new conditions. They are a reiteration of existing policies about not bringing the school into disrepute and/or not publishing anything about the school without prior permission (and writing on the Internet counts as publishing). OP: check your contract - what exactly does it say about both conduct (which may cover the bringing into disrepute bit) and/or publishing?

TotemPole · 23/06/2011 14:31

So it must be someone who knows her?

Isn't there some sort of privacy rules about discussing work outside of school?

purplepidjin · 23/06/2011 14:42

Unfortunately, you've put yourself in a very weak position. Information on facebook is tantamount to telling every single person at the school gate, in the local shop, then shouting it drunkenly from the bar of your local pub. There is absolutely no way that your work place is not identifiable.

Facebook has been mentioned at all the training I've been on for the last 3 or 4 years as a TA and a youth worker across three local authorities. Mainly in the "how to protect yourself" section of Safe-guarding training. If you haven't done Safe-Guuarding/Child Protection for longer than that then you may have a stronger case.

I think you need to accept that you've done something stupid a bit daft and you need to start looking for a new job.

M0naLisa · 23/06/2011 14:48

but when does slagging off an event at work to actually slagging off the company become different?

I used to work full time and in september 2009 at work i had to attend a advertising thing (forgot the name of it Blush) in birmingham, i wasnt happy that i had to go, setting off at 6.30am on a Sunday when i could have been staying at home wiht my faily, i vented about it on FB but didnt vent about the company, there was no reason for me to be there, yeah i was part of thr sales team but it was mainly just about the new employees (me and another colleague) seeing what that advertising day was all about.

Such a boring day stood around in a suit all day smiling at exsisting/potential new customers, i'd look at the clock and it would say 12noon then look again and it would 11am - it was like time was going backwards. So i vented on FB but didnt reprimanded for it and my manager was on my facebook.

TotemPole · 23/06/2011 14:56

I read the OP as something happened and the OP posted their opinion on what happened or how it was dealt with. This would have involved other people, people who have a right to their personal situations being kept personal and not posted on the internet.

fgaaagh · 23/06/2011 14:59

M0naLisa that would be a warning or even a dismissal as far as I'm aware at my place of work (in a sector not exactly in the dark ages too) - there are very clear rules about what is or isn't acceptable for social media websites and blogs and stuff where i work. there has been for every employer I've worked at in the last 10 years! Although before that it was "general IT use policies" and only in the last 3 or so that I've seen social media websites being mentioned in contracts specifically.

there was a woman at my previous place of employment who was fired for her misuse of the net whilst at work, if i recall a part of that was social media stuff. Well, IT mis-use and the fact that she had a few issues around the fact that she'd organised "work from home" days after ML and then wasn't contactable by email those days and seemed to have primary care of her 2 children whenever anyone phoned! not a good period in the team at that stage.

anyway i don't have a facebook account, i got bored of it a few months after DH showed me how to use it. same as with twitter. the accounts still exist i guess but i don't remember the login details.

OP has been very very stupid, although I'm not sure adding my voice to that pile will help her feel any better.

She needs to step away from the internet, DO NOT POST DETAILS ON MN, and get proper advice from a union rep, ACAS or employment solicitor (check your home insurance, very often legal cover is provided in its terms).

altinkum · 23/06/2011 15:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

M0naLisa · 23/06/2011 15:04

I never slagged hte company off just posted something along the lines of

'What a crap day i have had, so very very long.....not doing that again'

or soemthing to that effect. my manager posted aswell saying

'and i've got to do it all again tomorrow'

which she did she was there for 2 days and i was there for one'

LolaRennt · 23/06/2011 15:05

No point in jumping on you OP, as I assume you will have learnt your lesson. I do think people who bitch about friends or work (or anything of genuine importance) on FB are usually being silly or attention seeking.

altinkum · 23/06/2011 15:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

thebird · 23/06/2011 15:10

My SIL works in a school and often posts little bits about her day at work (shes one of those that posts about every detail of her whole life). While most things are pretty harmless I do think she is walking a fine line and the OP has just confimred this.