1) Have you ever been disciplined for a work related social media post or do you know someone who has? Do you think it is justifiable for an employer to take action against an employee for a "rant."
Personally I have never been disciplined for a work related social media post. Since last year, I have seen many NFL players take to Twitter to rant about their teammates, coaches, and incidents within the league. For example, after Michael Sam was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in May he shared a celebratory kiss with his boyfriend and it was featured on ESPN. Later on, both former and current NFL stars took to Twitter to bash Sam. Some players got away with the rants, but others were disciplined. Don Jones, safety for the Miami Dolphins, tweeted “OMG” and “horrible” when ESPN aired Sam kissing his boyfriend. Joe Philbin, Miami Dolphins Head Coach stated, “We were disappointed to read Don’s tweets. They were inappropriate and unacceptable, and we regret the negative impact these comments had on such an important weekend for the NFL. We met with Don today about respect, discrimination and judgment. These comments are not consistent with the values and standards of our program.” I feel that in many cases it is justifiable for an employer to take action against and employee for a rant because ultimately the employee is a representation of the company or organization.
2) In 2015 is it reasonable to expect that employees are on social media during the work day? Is this the new norm? If so, does this have a positive or negative effect on the work place? If not, how can an employer ever truly restrict this use?
While today’s technology continues to evolve, it is unreasonable to expect that employees are not on social media at all during the work day. I believe that the use of social media should not be permitted during work hours, but with mobile devices I don’t think that it will ever be truly possible to restrict this use.
3) Do you think that social media helps or hurts a young person’s ability to have a professional job?
I feel that having social media helps a young person’s ability to have a professional job. It allows the individual to network with others, create a personal brand, and acquire a following.
4) Of the nine points listed by NLRB which one did you think was the most important and which one did you feel was the least important?
I feel that “Employers May Prohibit Employee Rants” is the most important point. “The NLRB has expressly ruled that employees may be disciplined or terminated for engaging in such public rants. Prohibiting this behavior in a social media policy does not violate the Act as long as it does not chill protected speech” (Halpern, 2015).
“Generic or Overly-Broad Courtesy Clauses Should be Avoided” seems to be the least important because I feel that it goes hand in hand with the point made about employers being able to prohibit employee rants. “Employers may encourage employees to refrain from making insulting remarks or engaging in hateful speech in social media. However, employers may not impose wholesale restrictions” (Halpern, 2015).
Reference:
Halpern, S. (2015). When is Your Company's Social Media Policy an Unfair Labor Practice? Recent NLRB Decisions Offer Long-Awaited Guidance for Employers. Retrieved October 6, 2015, from http://www.natlawreview.com/article/when-your-company-s-social-media-policy-unfair-labor-practice-recent-nlrb-decisions-
Tori,
ReplyDeleteYour NFL example is a great one! It seems like time and time again athletes and celebrities get themselves in trouble on Twitter. This is not to say individual in other professions do not do the same but we tend to hold athletes to a different standard.
Do you think that the NFL or other professional sport should offer courses or assistance to newly drafted athletes on how best to use social media? The reality is that poor online etiquette can have a negative impact by being a distraction to an organization and can financially negatively effect an athlete through the potential loss of endorsements or making a team think twice before signing an athlete that may become a future liability.
Hi Daniel,
DeleteYes, I absolutely feel that the NFL and other professional sports leagues should mandate social media etiquette courses to both veteran and rookie players. Professional athletes are a reflection of both their team, and the league itself. As you mention, poor online etiquette can serve as a distraction to the organization and can negatively impact a player's reputation and financial status.
Tori,
ReplyDeleteGreat examples.
Considering the event you used for whether ranting is justified in the workplace. Do you think though the comment made were inappropriate, the players were exercising their right of freedom of speech in a way that could be seen as defamation to ones character? Thought the NFL can encourage players not to make obscene marks about other players, there are no real restrictions according to Harpen's 5th point.
Social media has the ability to help and hurt a young person's ability to have a professional job. Whether it be current or past content, once it is on the Internet it remains and even if today, one practices social media etiquette. A company may still penalize an interested employee for past activities as they may feel if does not represent them in a positive way.
Hi Brije,
DeleteWhile Don Jones was exercising his right to the freedom of speech, I feel that these comments were inappropriate and unprofessional. Although Jones was not fined, he was asked to meet with the coaches about respect, discrimination, and judgment. Ultimately, Jones is a representation of the Miami Dolphins. Poor social media etiquette can become a distraction and have a negative impact on the team. I also agree with you when you say that social media has the ability to help and hurt a young person's ability to have a professional job. In the future, other teams in the league may be hesitant to trade for Don Jones because of his history of poor online etiquette.
Great point, his comments could definitely hinder his opportunity of trading to other teams.
ReplyDeleteTori,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your responses as they posed the opinions from the side of larger corporate America. I have based my opinions on these questions, thus far, off of my own experience. I have mostly worked for smaller businesses, and have never held a position in what one would consider “Fortune 500” corporate America. However, you make an excellent point. As they say, with great power comes great responsibility. Larger brands, including the NFL, have an important role in society to set an example and uphold values for a greater cause. When someone who works for or is associated with the company makes public statements, social media or otherwise, that conflicts with the brand’s core beliefs – this poses an infinite risk. Brand equity and loyalty is difficult to gain, harder to maintain and nearly impossible to reinstate. When it comes down to losing the respect of consumers or letting go an employee who rants on social media – I can understand why many decide in favor of the latter decision.
My group had a similar question to yours in terms of the impossible task of controlling social media within the workplace. As you state, modern technology makes this a near impossible task. If you’d like, you can check out my similar points that speak to your thoughts on my blog: http://comi610cjh.blogspot.com/
Great post!
Caitlin,
DeleteYou make some excellent points here. I agree with you when you say that the NFL plays an important role in society by upholding values for a greater cause. When a player practices poor social media etiquette or even makes a public statement that conflicts with the beliefs of the organization, this poses a huge risk for both the player and the team. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Tori,
ReplyDeleteI also agreed it is justifiable for an employer to discipline an employee for a harmful social media post. Not only is the employee jading their image, but the companies, too. Employees are brand ambassadors and if they are misrepresenting the brand, maliciously or not, it still can reflect negatively and have an poor affect on the company's image. I wrote how their should be a set of guidelines and rules in place so there is an appropriate boundary known for both the employer and employee to stay within. I feel like this would help alleviate further disputes. Do you think having a social media policy in place would be a step in the right direction for an organization?
Hi Jordan,
DeleteI agree with you when you say that setting rules and boundaries for social media would alleviate further conflicts. Additionally, I believe that the NFL and other professional sports leagues should mandate a class or lecture where athletes can learn about social media etiquette. A social media policy and a social media etiquette class would be a step in the right direction for the NFL and definitely reduce the number of athlete "rants" that I see on Twitter each season ;)
As you mention, professional athletes can get themselves into trouble because of their social media usage. This article is interesting because it talks about how high school and college athletes also need to be aware of their social media brand: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/apr/4/social-media-an-issue-for-athletes-coaches/?page=all.
ReplyDeleteHigh school students who are looking to be recruited have to be careful what kind of image they are reflecting on and off the field. This now includes their social media presence. Students have been looked over because of their Twitter handle, suspended from games due to their tweets, and even suspended because of their video uploads (Seip, 2015, para 4). Unfortunately, “students do not realize how quick a word, phrase or sentence can affect their future” (para 17). Certain coaches take the time to work with their players to make sure they understand what they can and cannot do on social media (para 19). In the end, it is up to the student to decide what they are going to do.
Seip, J. (2015, Apr 4). Social media an issue for athletes, coaches. The Washington Times. Retrieved from http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/apr/4/social-media-an-issue-for-athletes-coaches/?page=all
Allison,
DeleteThank you for sharing that interesting article! This is definitely something I can relate to. As a collegiate athlete, it is very important to be cautious of what I post on my social media pages. Ultimately, I realize that I am a representation of the Marist women's basketball team and most importantly the school. When an athlete demonstrates poor social media etiquette, this may damage both the reputation of the institution and the future of the athlete.