New Software For Employers To Monitor Facebook

[Kerberoz]

Good, more job openings for people who aren't complete idiots and deserve them more.

[Overburn]

There's a HUGE difference between considering "having a job" a right, and "free speech away from work" a right.
One is obviously not a right, where one can be considered the most important right.

I'm not much into worrying about Big Brother watching, but this seems a little over the top if companies are actively searching out their employees non-work related activities.

It probably also has to do with people posting shit like "lol sooooooooooooooo high and drunk looks like im 'sick' for work again lololol" which I've seen so many times from people at my work.

[Ksandra]

I'm not much into worrying about Big Brother watching, but this seems a little over the top if companies are actively searching out their employees non-work related activities.

I wouldn't say it's just about that so much as too being able to see when your posting.


I'm guilty as everyone else, but it definitely seems that for the most part people are working "less" because too many of them are finding ways to sneak in their internet times. I could imagine that being a huge issue for businesses.

[Nitsuki]

^ that is very true, many people are being fucking idiots recently and get fired for doing something that is not within employee guidelines.

I highly doubt complaining about a job will get you fired unless you're directly insulting say management. We are free to speak our minds after all.

However, i've heard that companies know ways of getting into your facebook whether it's private or not, they don't give a shit really, and you'll never know that at all. But something like that happens are bound to cause the company huge trouble.

[Beckwin]

something as seeming innocuous as, oh I dunno, being gay (which you might be comfortable expressing on a social networking site but aren't the type to talk about your personal life at the workplace) could be a reason for a dickwad employer to fire you.

[Cephius]

something as seeming innocuous as, oh I dunno, being gay (which you might be comfortable expressing on a social networking site but aren't the type to talk about your personal life at the workplace) could be a reason for a dickwad employer to fire you.

1) profile should be private anyway
2) you'd have a discrimination case if they fired you for being gay

[Blackmagik]

1) profile should be private anyway
2) you'd have a discrimination case if they fired you for being gay

Good luck proving that they fired you because you being gay. Sure they can fire you for being gay but say it was another reason to cover it all up.

[Darus Grey]

1) profile should be private anyway
2) you'd have a discrimination case if they fired you for being gay

2.

No, you don't. They don't have to give a reason for firing you(or if in some state they do "Was not meeting expectations" is a universal fuck off!).

The only way these discrimination cases go anywhere is when someone is stupid enough to be honest(directly or indirectly) about why you're getting the boot.

If I wanted to fire someone for being gay, as long as I dont SAY it's because they're gay, there are no repercussions.

[Cephius]

well yeah, it's easy to lie and make up an excuse, which is why I said earlier that they can fire you whenever they want. But if they actually fired you for being gay (and you could somehow prove it) you can sue.

[#686578]

Most peoples issues arent with employers monitoring facebook and social networking sites as much as it is that they have to hide it now.

Sure, I dont want the government knowing what my internet browsing habits are, but hey I should've been encrypting my traffic anyway.

[#686578]

ib4 slippery slope

[TacoTaru]

well yeah, it's easy to lie and make up an excuse, which is why I said earlier that they can fire you whenever they want. But if they actually fired you for being gay (and you could somehow prove it) you can sue.

Depends on where you live really. Sexual orientation is not federally protected under discrimination laws and iirc less than half of all states have state law restricting it. Locally it's protected in a lot of places, but just because you were fired point blank for sexual orientation does not automatically mean you have a lawsuit anywhere in this country.

[Beckwin]

Most peoples issues arent with employers monitoring facebook and social networking sites as much as it is that they have to hide it now.

Sure, I dont want the government knowing what my internet browsing habits are, but hey I should've been encrypting my traffic anyway.

bingo. kinda ridiculous that we can't express ourselves in a fashion that lets friends/communities(networks)/curious strangers get a chance to know us out of fear that our capitalist overlords might catch wind of something we would never bring into the workplace.

I've worked with people whom I ideologically disagree with or otherwise just don't like, but I leave those topics out of the workplace. However, I think it's kind of absurd that I should need to close off my social networking to a careful selection of people because I like to talk/joke/whatever about whatever away from a workplace.

[Cephius]

It's not "closing off" anything, it's just keeping your information private. Why would you want someone who isn't your friend looking at your personal info anyway? This isn't something new, to protect your identity you should always shield personal shit like facebook from public access. If you feel the need to shout into the wind, make an anonymous livejournal or something.

[Komm Suesser Tod]

A lady at my wife's work got fired for talking shit about the shows she produced, saying that it didn't really matter how much work she did, nobody watched the channel, and it was in bumfuck-nowhere.

[Therin]

So let's pose this situation then.
I have a facebook page.
I have none of my supervisors friended on that page, and have in fact refused to "friend" a boss that sent a request.
I do use my facebook to talk negatively about my job, my company, and my supervisors if something has bothered me to that point.

Now you're telling me that my supervisors will be able to see those things I post in my free time, away from company equipment, and possibly use them to discipline/terminate me?

I'd love to see them try.

At what point would it seem like a good idea to post your personal feelings and private issues on the internet where nearly anyone can see it, with no consideration of the consequences?

If you got fired for that, you deserved it, because it's asinine.

[Quixon]

I don't befriend co-workers at all, and my profile is private. The people I work with are more or less retards anyways, so it made that decision easy.

As long as you do that you are covered for the most part. Cephius mentioned at the beginning of the thread that this program only pulls publicly available material. You can always limit specific peoples access as well. It's a bit of a pain in the ass, but it can be done.

[Beckwin]

It's not "closing off" anything, it's just keeping your information private. Why would you want someone who isn't your friend looking at your personal info anyway? This isn't something new, to protect your identity you should always shield personal shit like facebook from public access. If you feel the need to shout into the wind, make an anonymous livejournal or something.

this is the cyber equivalent of your employing sending someone to the bar you hang out at to eavesdrop on your conversations and watch what you do, of course only looking for things that would be objectionable to the employer. Sure, you could just invite a few friends over drink at home (lock the doors, cover the windows, and don't get too loud!), but... why should you have to?

[Cephius]

No, it's the equivalent of walking around with your e-mail address on your t-shirt and getting pissed when you start getting spam. You keep personal information private for a reason.

Your employer is not "spying" on you, spying implies that the information obtained isn't readily available.

If you post something that anyone with a computer has access to at the click of a button, it's your own damn fault if someone reads it. Especially when it literally takes 5 seconds to make your profile private.

[Cephius]

Depends on where you live really. Sexual orientation is not federally protected under discrimination laws and iirc less than half of all states have state law restricting it. Locally it's protected in a lot of places, but just because you were fired point blank for sexual orientation does not automatically mean you have a lawsuit anywhere in this country.

Also sorry I missed this. I will have to double check, but at least here (in NJ) I'm pretty sure that sexual orientation is one of the things listed in the "we can't fire you because of this" disclaimer when you submit an application.