Liking the Wrong Thing on Facebook Can Get You Fired

[Squigie]

Honestly I'm surprised, I would figure that the attorney would have argued that the support of the opposing candidate was the reason for firing (as it appears to be) and said support was inferred by the facebook like. Facebook likes may not qualify as free speech, but firing someone for their political affiliation is certainly illegal.

I was thinking exactly the same thing, so I looked it up. It's entirely legal in Virginia for an employer to fire an employee for political reasons. They had to turn this into a free speech issue so they could call it a civil rights violation, although I really don't see how firing someone for his (presumably expressed) political beliefs would not violate his right to free speech in all cases.

Beyond the political issue (imagine the response if the president even thought of taking such action with the military) the judge's argument is just plain stupid. If an act makes enough of a statement to provoke reprisal than it cannot fail to make enough of a statement to be speech.

Not liking your boss is not insubordination. Insubordination is refusing to follow orders. If you cannot trust your subordinates for no other reason than their political affiliation you have no business holding any position of responsibility.

 

[CardinalPiggles]

In that case I should probably change my profile picture, it's currently a picture saying no ones 'likes' the business I work for.

 

[Nuke_em_05]

Protip: Don't friend your boss on Facebook.

If they were at-will employees, then it doesn't matter why he fired them.

If they were covered employees; firing them for political preference is a wrongful termination. Except if Roander's findings are true. Which is doesn't make much sense to me. If that isn't exclusive to the Public sector, that could lead to some serious abuse of the democratic process.

Oh well, back to video games.

Honestly I'm surprised, I would figure that the attorney would have argued that the support of the opposing candidate was the reason for firing (as it appears to be) and said support was inferred by the facebook like. Facebook likes may not qualify as free speech, but firing someone for their political affiliation is certainly illegal.

I was thinking exactly the same thing, so I looked it up. It's entirely legal in Virginia for an employer to fire an employee for political reasons. They had to turn this into a free speech issue so they could call it a civil rights violation, although I really don't see how firing someone for his (presumably expressed) political beliefs would not violate his right to free speech in all cases.

 

[solemnwar]

In every job in America, showing your support for a competitor, especially when it comes to crunch time like re-elections do, generally gets you fired.
For Customer Care for cellular companies, it is in your contract that you CAN NOT work for another provider, no matter your hours with the former.
You do not spit in your boss' eye and get to keep your job.

You wouldn't hire a gardener to prune you pine trees if he has a known distaste for them would you?

As long as he is able to remain professional about it, it would not matter. I hate so, so, SO many of the people who come into my place of work. I still treat them courteously and do what I can to help them, as that is my job. Hell same can be said about PLENTY of people. It's called, you know, professionalism?

What people don't seem to realise is that your personal life and your professional life don't have to match up. Example, a defence lawyer may personally feel that his client should rot in the deepest dungeons on earth, but professionally he will do what he can do give them the best sentence (or get them off the charge entirely) possible.

 

[CrazyCapnMorgan]

WBC can protest using all the hate language they want and are protected by law.

People get fired because they publicly like someone other than their boss during an election.

Yep! Nothing wrong here. [/sarcasm]

EDIT: Also,

Unfortunately, U.S. District Judge Raymond Jackson disagreed, and stated that while Facebook Posts could be considered protected speech, the simple act of "liking" a page isn't enough to count since you don't actually make any written statements when you do so.

...isn't hitting the "Like" button the equivalent of saying/posting "I like this page/person/idea/thingy"? True, you don't type it in, but isn't that the generality of the idea expressed when you hit that button?

Side note: I don't have Facebook, or MySpace or any such social tracking tool.

 

[Dryk]

Yes because it's TOTALLY a good idea for an elected official to employ people who don't support him. We've all seen how HELPFUL the Republicans have been these last four years. If you tried to keep him from getting his job, why should he give you one?

I think that if he's not the right person for the job you should be able to do something about it. Likewise if one of your employees is the right person for the job then it's a stupid reason to fire them if they're able to not let it affect their work.

 

[Teh Jammah]

Honestly, I'd be more interested as to what the sherrif's reasons for dismissing the dismissed were. If it be some BS reason, then they prolly have a case.

If on the other hand they were just plain bad at their jobs... well, that's a whole 'nother story.

Long story short - so far we only have half the story

 

[Epona]

I think that working for Pepsi shouldn't keep you from saying you like Coke. I think that as long as you do your job, what you like or dislike is none of your bosses business. I put very little on Facebook because of shit like this but it shouldn't be that you can be punished for sharing an opinion your boss doesn't agree with, on your off time.

 

[Zydrate]

This actually isn't a very new thing. Employees posting their souls on the internet and their bosses finding out... Been happening for a while.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

Ok constitutional BS aside, surly the Judge had to agree that they were unjustly terminated?

 

[Berithil]

Wow, its just one thing after another with Facebook, isn't it.... Makes me glad I don't have one.

 

[Epona]

Attending an opponents fundraiser, warrants termination from an election committee.

Trying to use Facebook as grounds for (wrongful termination) violating their first amendment rights, is fucking absurd.

Supporting the competition can get you fired. What morons mentally challenged people don't realize that?

How far would you take that? Should Ford employees caught driving Chevy be fired?

 

[TriGGeR_HaPPy]

*snip*

But if Facebook is the only means for you to have contact with the person, what's the point? She/he is nothing more than a random acquintance that you don't give a flying fuck about. If the person would mean something to you, surely you would find another way than Facebook, or at least meet at some point.

Read all your responses to this thread, this seemed the most appropriate to respond to...

So, as I and my close friends are at university at various places around the state (some friends even being at uni in different parts of the country altogether), it's nice to have Facebook for a variety of reasons.

Talking to them: This is one of the main reasons I have it, but is definitely interchangeable with texting, phone calls, IM programs, etc (I do still text or call people relatively often). The best thing that Facebook offers, however, is it's group chats, talking to multiple people at once. This can be achieved by other services, but they often have to be organised in real-time which can be a huge hassle. On Facebook, however, just create a group chat, and people can respond at their leisure rather than having to be online at the same time (for other IM services), or lose track of who said what, and when (for other general messaging services).

Organising meet-ups (the main reason I like FB): I try to travel the state to see all my friends as often as possible. As such, it's nice to have a way to quickly and easily organise when I'll be visiting, who I might be able to stay with, what we can do while I'm visiting, etc. Again, this can be done via other means, but other ways of doing it (especially when we're organising events for multiple people) are a huge hassle to keep track of who has been invited, and their respective responses. Whereas on Facebook, if anyone has problems with what is organised, they can just say so and something else can be planned very quickly.

I can think of several other reasons why Facebook is actually a good service, too...

I'm not trying to convince you to join Facebook. Not at all. I'm merely trying to get you to see why it's so valuable to people like me who have close friends that aren't within the same city anymore. Everything that Facebook does can indeed be achieved with other services, but it seems silly to choose all those other means, when you have a central, much more efficient way of keeping in contact with people.

Anyway, back OT:
I really hope that the appeal of the guys who got fired is successful, especially if they really were fired purely for who they "liked". That just isn't right...

As for the First Amendment stuff, well... I'm just going to say "this" for this, since Fappy's covered it quite well already.

That is absolute bullshit. Freedom of Speech protects far more than "written statements". If motorcyclists can make the case for not wearing a helmet = freedom of expression than I have no idea why expressing that you agree with something, even if it is as simple as a Facebook "like", can't also share the same protection. Its hilarious how hypocritical and stupid our system really is.

 

[Epona]

Attending an opponents fundraiser, warrants termination from an election committee.

Trying to use Facebook as grounds for (wrongful termination) violating their first amendment rights, is fucking absurd.

Supporting the competition can get you fired. What morons mentally challenged people don't realize that?

How far would you take that? Should Ford employees caught driving Chevy be fired?

I should edit my post a tad, thanks!

I wouldn't want a Ford Sales Rep driving a Chevy, that's for sure.

This was about a rival for a an election. I don't understand how they could think it's okay. Just like those CoD dopes (supposedly) going to meet with other companies while under contract. Why would you want to continue to employ such people?

I didn't say a Ford rep, just a Ford employee. How about a Pepsi employee caught liking another brand on Facebook?

You say, "this is different, this is about an election". It's no different and the more this happens the more it will affect normal employees doing normal jobs.

Until social networks get some kind of free speech protection, I would advise people to not use them for anything public. Talk to your loved ones in PM but never LIKE anything that the world can see. Your employer may prove to you that you are his/her property while they employ you and that your off time doesn't really belong to you at all.