After a frustrating day at work, an employee comes home, logs onto Facebook, and posts on her wall that she hates her boss, her co-workers are incompetent, she doesn’t get paid enough, and she works too many hours. When her boss learns about the posting, the employee is fired. Under federal labor laws, this firing might be illegal.
With the use of social media on the rise, employers are facing the difficult decision of what to do when employees discuss work-related issues on social media. This is especially a concern for nonprofits, which rely on public image and trust to remain sustainable. In each situation, employers must react carefully so as to not tread on employees’ rights under federal law. This new article on our website discusses recent actions by the National Labor Relations Board concerning discipline or termination of employees for social media postings and suggests best practices for employers to avoid problems.
Social Media NLRA Legal Alert