Fired because of Facebook???

DebanamRN, MSN, RN · Mar 11, 2011

We just go a policy and procedure regarding posting on social networks. Basically, don't do it. I don't post anything about work. Period.

MouseMichelle · Mar 11, 2011

That's why my settings on FB are private, I am not friends with any of my coworkers, or my boss, and I never ever say anything about work.

Luv2care0907 · Mar 11, 2011

I am deeply concerned about the way people do not understand their right to speak out against tyranny, evil and unfairness. That is exactly why we have those freedoms. Not only can we present them in a public venue, but we can stand out on a street corner and picket our place of employment assembling peaceably without redress.

This generation is so uneducated on on their rights and how those rights are being indirectly taken away through these labor laws. The fact that an employer can reject a person for employment based on nothing is becoming a very convenient way to discriminate. I know I am being discriminated against because of my age; but because of these laws, there is no way to prove it. In court, they could give any number of reasons for rejecting me.

Slander and libel are concerning lies spoken against someone that tarnishes their reputation. But, for example, a list of your neighbors who have been accused of sexual offenses (proven or not) can be circulated in writing, which could certainly ruin their reputation. The press has a great deal of freedom to write incriminating articles as long as they are true. Hence, we have freedom of the press. Hence, we know many personal facts about people that they might be embarrassed for people to know.

There is a great deal of difference between my posting a client's picture on Facebook without their permission and their giving me a picture of themselves and tagging me. If someone actually was fired over that, that is a total abuse and a wrong application of HIPPA.

Purple_Scrubs, BSN, RN · Mar 11, 2011

I am deeply concerned about the way people do not understand their right to speak out against tyranny, evil and unfairness. That is exactly why we have those freedoms. Not only can we present them in a public venue, but we can stand out on a street corner and picket our place of employment assembling peaceably without redress.

No one is saying you are not free to say whatever you want, or to post whatever you want. The problem is, the employer is free to HIRE whoever they want and to FIRE whoever they want (at least in right to work states like mine and in absence of a contract). No one is owed a job, we earn our jobs. The employer has a right to set standards about how they want their employees to behave. If you don't like their standards, seek employment elsewhere. If I was the manager and had an employee bad-mouthing the company, I would let them know that they are well within their first ammendment right to speak their mind, but they will have to do it from the unemployment line.

JDZ344 · Mar 11, 2011

Legal or not, if an employer wants to sack you they will try to find an excuse to get rid of you, I've found out over the mere 4 years I have worked in a healthcare (I'm not a nurse).

Funnily enough, this situation came up where I work. I don't mention work on my FB page, I am VERY choosy which co-workers have access to my page and I would caution others to do the same.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Mar 11, 2011

i heard through the grapevine that two rn's at a hospital were fired yesterday over a thread that they participated in on facebook.... i do know that the posts were not made during their working hours but can not say exactly what was said in these posts...but how on earth could that be legal if they posted what ever they did on their own time? i do know it was not Mediaographic in nature.....i'm just in shock. anyone have heard of this happening or have any thoughts:eek:

more and more people are getting into trouble at work -- or not getting work -- because of facebook. whatever you put on the internet is on the internet . . . there are myriad ways your employer can get it. and face it; people aren't real smart about what they put out there!

systoly · Mar 11, 2011

It's really not complicated. If you are not prepared to say something to someone's face then don't post it on face book. Believing that posting on facebook won't have consequences is like covering your face with your hand believing that nobody can see you.

BabyLady, BSN, RN · Mar 11, 2011

I heard through the grapevine that two RN's at a hospital were fired yesterday over a thread that they participated in on Facebook.... I do know that the posts were not made during their working hours but can not say EXACTLY what was said in these posts...but how on earth could that be legal if they posted what ever they did on their OWN time? I do know it was not Mediaographic in nature.....I'm just in shock. Anyone have heard of this happening or have any thoughts:eek:

If it has to do with hospital business, than whether it is on work time or their own time, it IS their business.

100% legal...a court will back it up every time.

I never, ever mention work in my Facebook posts, other than a very superficial..."glad to be home"..."on low-census tonight"...etc.

I never mention anything even remotely suggesting toward any case in my unit.

THAT is how you get fired.

BabyLady, BSN, RN · Mar 11, 2011

Its really easy: make your facebook PRIVATE! No one who is not your friend can see your pictures or activities. I would not friend nor accept a request from anyone I worked with.

This doesn't work...and I'll tell you what happened to a co-worker of mine that got fired 4 months ago.

1) "Jane" had lots of other co-workers on their Facebook page.

2) One of the co-workers was friends with our manager, but not Jane.

3) So our manager could view Jane's posts on the co-workers pages.

4) Manager saw that Jane committed a HIPAA violation in her Facebook post.

5) Manager took it to administration, who got a COURT ORDER to view Jane's page (and Jane had no idea, because page belongs to Facebook, not to Jane...please see your Facebook user agreement)...legal department confirmed that Jane had committed a HIPAA violation.

6) Jane was fired, reported to the BON, family member was notified.

You NEVER KNOW who is friends with who.

So making your page private, does not matter folks...you don't post work stuff, period.

MomRN0913 · Mar 11, 2011

Their is actually a new "social networking" policy at my old facility. A nurse was not very smart and called out sick then later checked in at a resturant on FB then posted pictures of herself having a great time with friends! She got suspeneded. ANd now there is a new policy in place.

Bruce_Wayne, ASN, RN · Mar 11, 2011

A lot of people are saying that they don't put their co-workers as their friends on facebook, but for me most of my friends on facebook are co-workers.

The hospital is such a big time consuming part of my life that I don't really have much of a life outside of it. If I'm going to go out and be social 9 times out of 10 it's going to be with co-workers and the other 1/10 time it's going to be family.

Also my work place has it's own official facebook that we're encouraged to "like" on facebook. They post updates and meeting times on facebook, so that it is more convenient.

I don't think you should be blaming facebook for people's hippa violations. They broke HIPPA the vehicle in which they broke the law is irrelevant. Just don't break hippa and don't post stupid things.

NicuGal, MSN, RN · Mar 11, 2011

You do know that if you "like" your place of employment, you just gave them full rein to see your page, right?

We just had an incident on another floor this week....nurse friended a patient's parent...nurse posted something about work....parent printed it and then turned it into managment who in turn sent it to HR. Needless to say, that nurse is no longer employed. She violated the policy and procedure on networking. One second of stupid....that is all it takes.