Work and Facebook

[hellhasnofurylikeahungrywoman]

Not for me but for a friend who is being disciplined for a comment she made on Facebook. Her comment was 'Do not want another day like that :(' and it was about something that happened at home yet she has received a written warning at work for it. Is that acceptable?

Yes - work and FB do not mix. If i were her, I would grovel and say I had learnt the error of my ways.

I work for a telecom's company, have no work friends on FB and often get enquires about phones/internet or complaints about service etc. I am employed as an ambassador of my company and would never, ever post anything derogatory or unhelpful about them ever - no matter if I privately agreed that someone else offered a better deal, or servie was shit. It really is NOT worth it.

Surely, though if it was about something that happened at home it had nothing to do with work, so why should she have had a warning and need to grovel?

Did she make the comment on work time?

I have no idea, she has other colleagues who have posted things like 'What a week!' or 'What a day!' and not been disciplined for it and at least one of those colleagues is in a managerial role whereas this friend isn't. seems unfair. Either no-one can post things like that or everyone can.

No the comment was made outside of the working day.

In that case I think they're out of order. If she has a union She should seek their advice, or alternatively go to a C.A.B.

I think they're out of order.
You can write what you like on your own status about your own private life.

Many a day I've wanted to come home and have a rant about work on FB but I know that I can't.....

Depends what she said and if she mentioned work or not (by name). If she just said she had a hard day and there is NO link between her FB and work.....

Does her profile mention where she works?

And yes - you can write on your own status about your own private life - but it is disingenuous to think that HR ie when you go for a job don't look at these things. Check your settings carefully. That - "hanging off - pulled a sicky" could come back to haunt you. So many people seem to forget that what you type on the internet is not secret.

has she been through the disciplinary procedure? you can't just receive a written warning?? there needs to be a fact find, she needs to be interviewed.

a similar case (similar statement but then the comments below between them and others identified the workplace) went to displiciplinary in my workplace - full fact find and interviews - the person got an improvement notice rather than formal warning under the policy.

Effectively there is no redress outside the company if you're just given a warning. Was she given the right to appeal? Inconsistent application of policy should be good grounds for appeal.