Work and what you write on social media

[citybythesea]

The thing for people saying it’s none of your jobs business what you post etc. It’s a bit like free speech.. you’re totally entitled to post what you want or say what you want. BUT you have to be aware that actions have consequences and that most employers won’t want to be associated with racists, or people posting extreme views. You can post what you want, but you can’t be surprised if it gets you in bother. Employing racists isn’t usually that high up on most companies agendas. It’s hardly rocket science, but then from experience, those posting extreme views aren’t exactly the brightest.

<Really good point, when HR teams are looking to recruit people, there’s an assessment of the character profile aswell as the skills to do the job. They’ve got to judge whether the person will fit into the company ethos. They might consider if the person will be a troublemaker or might have bigoted views.
Since there’s an insatiable need to sprawl our profile across social media it gives recruiters the perfect opportunity to make a character assessment on a potential employee. From the recruiter point of view, they’re just interested in getting the best person for the job.
Personally I think it’s fair enough for them to do that, as people making bigoted remarks aren’t exactly whispering it anonymously. They’re exclaiming it to the world and they’re happy to hang their hat on those statements, they shouldn’t be surprised when their values differs to others.

 

[Cockney Mackem]

I bet he's a Brexiteer who thinks Donald Trump is fantastic and reads the Daily Mail. NAILED ON.

He thinks Donald Trump reads the Daily Mail??

 

[0verlord44]

<Really good point, when HR teams are looking to recruit people, there’s an assessment of the character profile aswell as the skills to do the job. They’ve got to judge whether the person will fit into the company ethos. They might consider if the person will be a troublemaker or might have bigoted views.
Since there’s an insatiable need to sprawl our profile across social media it gives recruiters the perfect opportunity to make a character assessment on a potential employee. From the recruiter point of view, they’re just interested in getting the best person for the job.
Personally I think it’s fair enough for them to do that, as people making bigoted remarks aren’t exactly whispering it anonymously. They’re exclaiming it to the world and they’re happy to hang their hat on those statements, they shouldn’t be surprised when their values differs to others.

but it has to go both ways yes? If a company is prepared to fire somebody with strong political views to the right, they have to do the same the opposite way.

Of course your example was in the hiring of someone and like you say people will look at to see if they fit. But punishing or firing somebody who is in work for posting views online which neither break the law nor incite others to do so, isn't a line we should be crossing in my eyes

 

[citybythesea]

but it has to go both ways yes? If a company is prepared to fire somebody with strong political views to the right, they have to do the same the opposite way.

Of course your example was in the hiring of someone and like you say people will look at to see if they fit. But punishing or firing somebody who is in work for posting views online which neither break the law nor incite others to do so, isn't a line we should be crossing in my eyes

Oh course I didn’t specifically reference the “right” of politics, I said if something like racism is illegal

Theres a difference between saying something that’s illegal ie racism, homophobia, sexist…..and having right wing views

But If things have to be categorised I’ve never heard “left” wing views falling foul of company misconduct rules. E.g someone wouldn’t be sanctioned for being too liberal……or wanting more equality

Unless you’ve got a different example?

 

[PeteFTM]

He’s a racist, get him sacked.

No sympathy.

 

[0verlord44]

Oh course I didn’t specifically reference the “right” of politics, I said if something like racism is illegal

Theres a difference between saying something that’s illegal ie racism, homophobia, sexist…..and having right wing views

But If things have to be categorised I’ve never heard “left” wing views falling foul of company misconduct rules. E.g someone wouldn’t be sanctioned for being too liberal……or wanting more equality

Unless you’ve got a different example?

Thats my point, A person should be safe to go to work with an anti abortion view point for example, as much as a person with a pro abortion view should. That would be equality.

Neither should be sanctioned as long as it stays within the rules of the platform, the law and is respectful

 

[Bob Fleming]

Thats my point, A person should be safe to go to work with an anti abortion view point for example, as much as a person with a pro abortion view should. That would be equality.

Neither should be sanctioned as long as it stays within the rules of the platform, the law and is respectful

No one would be sacked for simply saying they are anti abortion.

 

[JAZZMANB]

Wrong. Your behaviour outside of work can cause reputational damage for your employer

Worse still they attend the tommy rally in their screwfix fleece cos they are tramps

 

[42]

Thats my point, A person should be safe to go to work with an anti abortion view point for example, as much as a person with a pro abortion view should. That would be equality.

Neither should be sanctioned as long as it stays within the rules of the platform, the law and is respectful

You're glossing over the racism point.
No one is going to be sacked for having political opinions, but what will get you the sack is hate speech.

 

[JAZZMANB]

There’s a whiff of 1984 about this - scary slope.
That said some people in the office itself don’t help themselves - going on about their personal lives and activities.
For over 40 years I kept my home life out of the office. I kept it a mystery.I was polite , professional and well respected by my colleagues , never attended a works bash in my life . Work hard , get paid , fuck off home .

Sort of 1984 but everything out there on you you submitted freely and continue to . I kept most family ,work mates ,customers etc off fb early on as it was personal and I wanted to swear on there etc when I felt like it
People " friend " you to be nebby .
There's no big family,kids,house,holiday stuff goes on
No happy birthday to your son shite
He's there with you !
No parents death posts ( find that really odd )

 

[Lefty Frizzell]

A bloke started with us just before Christmas, a wife (nosey kernt) out of the office yesterday had a look through his Facebook page, pretty harmless loads of anti Sunderland pro mag stuff, like “back shift at Nissan, 5under1and etc shite like that” but further back it becomes racist, loads of anti BLM matter stuff and a status about him going to shop at Morrisons because it only had white people on their Christmas advert, also loads of anti vax nonsense and Covid was a massive fake story, proper tin foil hat stuff, should this effect the blokes job or does it not matter ? Too be fair if I was in recruitment I’d be having a spy on social media.

Think it would be harsh. Considering that the posts in question were made before your company employed them.

If your company has a policy on social media linked to possible disciplinary procedures there are plenty of companies they can employ to run social media checks on candidates.

If he posts stuff now that is questionable then I guess he could face HR problems. When people start nosing through colleagues socials and report them, it can open up a huge can of worms. As if they implement a policy for one then it has to be used fairly against all.

I’ve seen pretty much an entire team sacked before because snitching started. It was embarrassing.

 

[Ageing Grey Mackem]

A bloke started with us just before Christmas, a wife (nosey kernt) out of the office yesterday had a look through his Facebook page, pretty harmless loads of anti Sunderland pro mag stuff, like “back shift at Nissan, 5under1and etc shite like that” but further back it becomes racist, loads of anti BLM matter stuff and a status about him going to shop at Morrisons because it only had white people on their Christmas advert, also loads of anti vax nonsense and Covid was a massive fake story, proper tin foil hat stuff, should this effect the blokes job or does it not matter ? Too be fair if I was in recruitment I’d be having a spy on social media.

It's never affected me as this is the closest to social media I get, but some years back a good friend of mine was warned to edit his Facebook and social media presence when he was promoted to junior management in a prominent Ambulance Service, as there were images of him on the beer at QPR matches and on trips to the US and Canada. They said images of him obviously hammered weren't in line with policy or somesuch.

This was at a time when a lot of senior management of the organisation were men who had on numerous occasions had to be discreetly escorted from certain niche licensed premises and venues around a metropolitan area when they had indulged in various activities to excess.

And that's as carefully worded a post as I've ever managed...

 

[JAZZMANB]

It's never affected me as this is the closest to social media I get, but some years back a good friend of mine was warned to edit his Facebook and social media presence when he was promoted to junior management in a prominent Ambulance Service, as there were images of him on the beer at QPR matches and on trips to the US and Canada. They said images of him obviously hammered weren't in line with policy or somesuch.

This was at a time when a lot of senior management of the organisation were men who had on numerous occasions had to be discreetly escorted from certain niche licensed premises and venues around a metropolitan area when they had indulged in various activities to excess.

And that's as carefully worded a post as I've ever managed...

I'd take them to task on that because it's perfectly reasonable behaviour in your own time
I'd ask to see the policy

 

[FootballFan]

Is facebook still a thing?

 

[JAZZMANB]

Is facebook still a thing?

Is pretending it isn't a thing still a thing ?
It's a strange old mix of uses but a very useful tool for modern life
I know people on it who don't really use it but have to be on it to keep up with stuff they do
Events,sports, hobbies ,etc

 

[Ageing Grey Mackem]

I'd take them to task on that because it's perfectly reasonable behaviour in your own time
I'd ask to see the policy

It must be about 10 years or more since they warned him mind, and his career has gone really well so he is now of a level of the same managers who had a pop at him. The only time he's fallen foul of them of late was last year when he attended a meeting and they were handing out name badges and asked him what his pronouns were to which he replied "I'm a 52 year old overweight balding white bloke, take a wild guess..."

 

[citybythesea]

Thats my point, A person should be safe to go to work with an anti abortion view point for example, as much as a person with a pro abortion view should. That would be equality.

Neither should be sanctioned as long as it stays within the rules of the platform, the law and is respectful

Hate speech is categorically illegal, whereas having right wing views isn’t
It’s an important distinction

Anyone doing it could be seen to be bringing a company into disrepute

 

[0verlord44]

Hate speech is categorically illegal, whereas having right wing views isn’t
It’s an important distinction

Anyone doing it could be seen to be bringing a company into disrepute

what part of my post mentions hate speech? I'm unsure why you are bringing it up, sorry

You're glossing over the racism point.
No one is going to be sacked for having political opinions, but what will get you the sack is hate speech.

again, where did i mention racism in this. I'm not talking about the fella in the OP. Of course what he was saying according to that sounded racist and therefore 100% should be held to account for it.

But when it isn't, it shouldn't be impacting your employment in my eyes

No one would be sacked for simply saying they are anti abortion.

Ok, and if they said on social media they don't support the Trans movement or the teaching of it in schools for instance? My company have even said that they will no 're-educate' us on D&I matters. What if somebody posted something that was against that?

 

[citybythesea]

what part of my post mentions hate speech? I'm unsure why you are bringing it up, sorry

Erm because that was the original point of discussion. The example I gave in post 86 is about racism, which is classed as a hate crime. That’s the only subject I’ve been talking about. Check back over the discussion
Which I said is illegal and it is.

You brought up the point right wing views or abortion, should be treat the same.
That’s where the discussion diverges

 

[42]

what part of my post mentions hate speech? I'm unsure why you are bringing it up, sorry

again, where did i mention racism in this. I'm not talking about the fella in the OP. Of course what he was saying according to that sounded racist and therefore 100% should be held to account for it.

But when it isn't, it shouldn't be impacting your employment in my eyes

Ok, and if they said on social media they don't support the Trans movement or the teaching of it in schools for instance? My company have even said that they will no 're-educate' us on D&I matters. What if somebody posted something that was against that?

Because that's what the threads about. You've jumped in going on about political opinions which isn't the topic unless you're trying to say hating people is a political opinion.