Just a reminder to watch what you say!

Wishinonastar, BSN · Jul 7, 2011

Did you ever have your boss bring something up to you that she could not have known if she had not been spying on you? I know our phones have an intercom but I thought you had to push the button for someone to hear you speak. My boss mentioned something to me that was said in my office that no one should have been able to hear unless...

That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B · Jul 7, 2011

As for "friending" co-workers and bosses, I like them but not enough to feel the need to keep up with them when I am not working. When I receive a friend request from someone I work with, I do a "pocket veto" and just leave it pending.

I have a lot of co-workers as friends. We are a smaller hospital so we are pretty close and hang out a lot after work, on weekends off. We just watch what we say on FB. The DON openly admits to surfing FB looking for stuff that people post to get them in trouble :uhoh3:

MTRN13 · Jul 8, 2011

We recently had an issue at work where people were "checking in" at Hell on fb which was mapped out as the hospital. Needless to say that made its way to administrations desk

That is just bad judgement. I never write anything about work on fb. Though I will say I've had a bad day in general, not necessarly referring to my last shift.

I do not list my place of employment or friend anyone from work. I try and keep my info and pics for my family and friends only. I do have to wonder after the employment screening, why HR or administration is focusing their attention on fb. Don't they have more important things to do like run a hospital ? :twocents:

Exhaustipated, ADN, BSN · Jul 8, 2011

i think it is more of a huge violation of our first amendment rights (free speech.) we should be able to say a lot of things on our facebook/twitter that are legally protected. i believe that most of these employers are overstepping their legal boundries and get away with it until those who were disciplined/fired take it further to aclu, aclj and other organizations that exist to protect our individual rights.

i've found this thread extremely interesting, but there's one thing i wanted to point out. the first amendment (free speech) doesn't give us the right to say what we want, when we want, without consequence. the first amendment protects us from being punished by the federal government for speaking out (or for practicing your religion of choice or peaceably assembling). because of the first amendment, you won't be arrested and thrown into federal prison for saying your government sucks. it doesn't protect you from fb or twitter deleting your account if they disagree with something you've said. or the bieber-loving owner of an internet forum banning you for saying you can't stomach justin's music. or your employer from firing you because you say your job sucks. there may be other laws on the books that'll come into play and help you in these instances, but not the first amendment to the constitution of the united states:

congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

suanna · Jul 8, 2011

Not uncommon. From what I've heard most employers check "facebook" postings before hire and many have alerted thier employees that "social network" comments that are detramental to the company image will be subject to dicipline. I don't know how they can enforce the suspension of our 1st amendment rights, but I wouldn't want to test it in todays job market. If I want to blow off steam about my job- I call a friend or talk to my cat. (My cat is very sympathetic.)

Roy Fokker, BSN, RN · Jul 8, 2011

Watch what you say "... they'll be calling you a radical, a liberal, fanatical, criminal..."

Sorry. Couldn't resist I love that band!

Does your employer have a policy regarding social networking sites? Mine does.

Please check yours and make sure you're compliant. Employers have the right to determine their self-image to the general public.

This has nothing to do with living in a police state [which is a different topic altogether].

There may be other laws on the books that'll come into play and help you in these instances, but not the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States

Thank you! :)

Another classic example of people misunderstanding property rights!

cheers,

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · Jul 8, 2011

This reminded me I wanted to check out the policy on social networking at work tonight.

Warpster · Jul 10, 2011

Well, I'm retired so a lot of this is irrelevant now. In any case, employers have been surfing all sorts of social sites for years. I wish I could say this is something new, but it's not.

A few rules to keep in mind are never to mention your place of employment by name (it will turn up in the most cursory searches), never to mention patients or coworkers by name (unless you fancy getting sued), and keep those privacy settings tightened up so that employers won't be able to access your pages. Also clean them out frequently, just in case some suit blows a hissy fit and demands you show him things that are absolutely none of her/his business because s/he has no life.

In any case, my own social networking has skipped the usual suspects and confined itself to a couple of obscure sites and usually the armpit within those sites.

Employer voyeurism really needs to be stopped, but we won't be able to do it until we overcome the silly blockade in Congress and get some tough eavesdropping legislation passed. Until that happens, you want to make it as tough for them to access your private life as you possibly can.

Wishinonastar, BSN · Jul 10, 2011

It is almost like a guy sitting in a tree with binoculars watching you, isn't it? or a dark van in the driveway with blacked-out windows and the HR manager inside- just checking. I mean really, why? Hasn't the world gotten awfully paranoid? Sometimes I miss privacy. Remember the days of no cell phones? of course then we had beepers, but still. Now you can never get away, ever. And venting is not allowed. Just swallow that stress, take it like a man, until you go insane or die. No wonder we have people going crazy- there is no rest or respite from stress these days.

joanna73, BSN, RN · Jul 10, 2011

It's maddening, just in principle. Certainly, I can understand the issue of confidentiality, and not mentioning names, or your employer. However, saying something like, "I had a bad night," and getting flak....WTH? Employers have no business snooping around in our private lives to the extent that some are.

lorenwithano · Jul 10, 2011

my boyfriend and i live in connecticut and recently attended a meeting for "managers". the directors of this meeting clearly explained that if an employee gets placed on probabtion/get terminated for something they posted on the internet.... the employee could very well seek law counsel... and win... because its free speech! i am no expert... but i believe this is true. i mean, certain things people just shouldnt say on the internet... but by saying you had a bad night at work? i dont know... that sounds like a general statement to me. as long as you didnt mention any names or the place you work.

places of employment... especially the older ones who arent familiar with situations regarding the internet are quick to dish out punishments.... but i think they need to read into the laws.

joanna73, BSN, RN · Jul 10, 2011

Lol....my work knows I quit answering the phone, so the other day I got an email to work a shift. Where does it end?