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Original poster

Daughter facing disciplinary over social media post

202 replies

user89066511 · 06/08/2021 10:10

My daughter works in retail in a supermarket. During lockdown at the beginning of the year someone posted on her timeline asking how she was and saying how rubbish the year was. She replied life is pretty normal for me working in supermarket but the customers are more annoying than ever.
Someone has reported the post and she now faces disciplinary action. Can anyone give any advice? She thinks that the company are been unreasonable but I know some companies are very strict on social media posts.

OP posts:
Flomoon · 06/08/2021 10:54

Most places have a social media policy, its hard to know really what the outcome will be. The most likely is they are following it up as a complaint was made, and they'll give a warning and refresher (it seems that its unlikely a tonne of people saw to the extent it brought them into disrepute). It could be a sackable offense though, I think she just needs to go in, own her mistake and emphasise that she has taken the time to refresh on policy and has learnt from it. Definitely don't go in defending or denying it, show growth and that it won't be an issue again.

54321nought · 06/08/2021 10:55

Its a sackable offence, certainly, does not mean she will definitely be sacked.

depends on
a) do they actually want her to work for them? is she reliable and effective in normal day to day work
b) level of contrition. Which at the moment looks like zero

Hekatestorch · 06/08/2021 10:56

Why does she think they are unreasonable?

Blufandango · 06/08/2021 10:56

She needs to contact her union rep, they will try and help her keep her job

PandemicAtTheDisco · 06/08/2021 10:58

My friend lost her job for comments on her SM about her work. She had a confrontational attitude about her comments instead of being apologetic. I think her attitude had continued at work too.

I don't think she's patient enough for her job role and needs something more suitable. She comes across as very abrupt and arrogant when it's more confidence in herself.

OnTheBenchOfDoom · 06/08/2021 10:59

Usually in the employee handbook it says don't slag off your employer on social media, something about the hand that feeds you?

She needs to change her attitude, they are not unreasonable as a company to want to portray a positive image online. Slagging off the people who shop in the supermarket is an idiotic move. She needs to grow up.

Becca19962014 · 06/08/2021 11:00

The company aren't being unreasonable, she is. Companies make their stance on social media use very clear. Even out of work you're representing your workplace.

Deleting something doesn't mean it's gone either as companies keep copies and anyone can get a screenshot and then publish elsewhere.

AdelindSchade · 06/08/2021 11:01

Best advice as pp have said - do not give them any 'attitude'. Apologise and say lesson has been learned. My experience is that people are much more likely to be given a second chance if they are like this.

pinkcircustop · 06/08/2021 11:03

The company are not being unreasonable and she needs to realise that. They will have a social media policy and yes, you can be sacked for it as comments like that can be seen as putting the company into disrepute.

TheVanguardSix · 06/08/2021 11:03

Every young person... or any person really... ought to read So You've Been Publicly Shamed, OP. It's a book by Jon Ronson. He also does a condensed podcast (BBC). I think it's about 6 episodes which are 15-20 minutes long each. It's a really worthy listen.
Your daughter's situation could go ANY way. She could be fired, she could get a slap on the wrist. It's impossible to know. In this age, where Social Media is 'Gospel' and misinterpreted as such, So You've Been Publicly Shamed is a necessary read.
When it comes to social media, just go grey rock, is my advice. Your DD will learn this... unfortunately she'll learn the hard way but she's young and it's an invaluable lesson to learn.

Fiddliestofsticks · 06/08/2021 11:03

She insisted the company's customers on social media, and made it a public post? That's misconduct. Might not be enough to get sacked, but it is misconduct.

sadie9 · 06/08/2021 11:06

It does show immaturity.
She took her anger against life out on the 'customers'. They are her own feelings of annoyance but others are getting blamed for 'annoying' her. It's like child who stubs her toe on a toy tractor and then throws the toy and say 'bad tractor hurt my toe'. A more mature response is 'I stood on that by accident and it really hurts'.
She needs to take responsibility for her own feelings and accept her part in it. She needs to apologise and apologise BIG!
Put her hands up, eat humble pie and say 'yes it was very rude and damaging to the shop's reputation I'm so sorry I was quite stressed but it was out of order'.
If I was a customer in that shop I'd think that was bloody rude. I'd report it to management if I saw someone saying that.
She called you annoying too OP you are a customer. Don't be minimising it and telling her she's getting harshly treated and it's all the big bad wolf's fault for being mean to her.

liveforsummer · 06/08/2021 11:06

The fact it was on a publicly visible picture is worse. Even if she didn't name the company people could recognise her. They are absolutely not being unreasonable and she needs to not go in projecting that thought. Hopefully just a verbal warning and a lesson learned.

wetfloor · 06/08/2021 11:07

This happened to someone I know. It only went further as she had got who she worked for in her profile. If she doesn't then I'm sure she could fight it.

DinosaurDiana · 06/08/2021 11:07

I was told off for something I put on a group WhatsApp. It wasn’t even out on social media.
As far as I was concerned it was a private thing between some of us who happened to work together. Apparently not.
Hopefully she will get told off and told not to do it again.
She needs to delete the post and get rid of anything on there that links her to her place of work.

HappyWipings · 06/08/2021 11:11

A similar thing happened to me. I made a nice comment about my place of work , some other colleagues started chatting on my thread , they said some identifying things and we got called in for a collective slap on the wrist.

I apologised , said I'd never mention work on sm again and they let it go. She must say sorry and be very careful in the future.

problembottom · 06/08/2021 11:12

My friend was sacked for similar. She needs to start grovelling...

JaneJeffer · 06/08/2021 11:15

Given that some busybody reported her she wasn't wrong!

TheVanguardSix · 06/08/2021 11:16

It's impossible to know. In this age, where Social Media is 'Gospel' and misinterpreted as such

I just want to qualify what I've written here.
There's a big difference between someone posting abhorrent comments that cannot be misinterpreted. And then there are the throwaway but damaging comments such as your DD's post that might be interpreted as harmless by one person and harmful by another. One person will read it and think, "Ah whatever. Retail's a slog and it must be all uphill in pandemic times." Another will think, "That's well out of order, what she's written about her customers." All comments are fair game and open to interpretation... or misinterpretation in some cases.

What we think is one thing. What we do with those thoughts is another. What you think (on social media) is put out there for thousands to read. It gets read and shared and judged. There are things we just don't write on social media. And I think the policy of 'if you can't say anything nice, don't say it at all' works really, really well in this case.
Or as my brother used to say to me (RIP brother... a man of wisdom he was): If you wouldn't put it in a deposition, don't put it on social media.
Ultimately, protect yourself by just keeping it tidy and above all, fair on SM. If there's a possibility of offending someone, don't write it.

IAmWomxxnHearMeRoar · 06/08/2021 11:19

Can I recommend you repost this on the employment rights section? You'll get better engagement.

DogsSausages · 06/08/2021 11:20

Perhaps they may say that she shouldnt be working in that environment if she finds the clients annoying. Why does she think they are being unreasonable. How do you think she will react or behave there if she receives a sanction.

DoormatBob · 06/08/2021 11:23

DW is a HR Manager and has dismissed someone over this kind of thing before. Whilst the post wasn't identifying they did have the employer linked to their profile.

Basically if it's too public and the person is tagged or whatever its called to the company page as there employer then it can appear in searches for that company hence HR interest.

Frazzled2207 · 06/08/2021 11:24

What’s her employer actually said?
She was wrong to do what she did and it was probably in her employment contract that she should not do this.
That said what she actually did was relatively tame. I would expect some kind of warning not to do it again (maybe formal verbal warning) but hopefully not any further action.

5475878237NC · 06/08/2021 11:26

Given that some busybody reported her she wasn't wrong!

^ It could easily have been a colleague who reported her as she sounds very immature and therefore potentially a PIA to work with.

Viviennemary · 06/08/2021 11:26

Did she mention her workplace by name. If so I expect it will be a warning. I agree she should br full of remorse and acknowledgdment of wrongdoing. If she isn't a very good worker they could easily use this as an excuse to dismiss her.

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