Employee fired over comment on Facebook (Big Brother has taken over)
By lelin1123
@lelin1123 (15595)
Puerto Rico
August 5, 2010 4:35pm CST
An employee of Brixx Restaurant was fired because she made a comment on her facebook account about a couple who were there for 3 hours and she had to work an hour overtime because they hadn't left. Then the couple left her only 5 dollars. Because the comment left on facebook called them cheap and she talked bad about their customer she was fired. I can't believe how big brother has really taken over. Its ridiculous that she was fired over this. She didn't mention the couple by name and she was only ranting like so many do on facebook about their jobs. I think if anything she should have been given a warning. However, now that you know you don't have a bit of privacy left in this world how do you feel about this. Will this make you beaware of what you write now on facebook or any other social network? Do you think she should have been fired or not?
7 people like this
17 responses
@aileenc (24)
• Canada
5 Aug 10
I have heard about this before! It is terrible, a woman got fired for booking a flight at work, and now someone is getting fired for facebook!What happened to privacy? All she was doing was telling he friends about how bad her day was....if she did it in the street would she face the same drama?!
2 people like this
So what then??
@lelin1123 (15595)
• Puerto Rico
6 Aug 10
No she wouldn't have. That is why I think being on Facebook you have to watch everything you say and do. I just can't believe how nothing is private anymore and we are all an open book in my opinion.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160952)
• United States
5 Aug 10
There are places that will not hire you if you have Facebook or Myspace accounts. It is important to be professional in presenting both yourself and the company you represent. If you put something on the internet you have no reasonable expectation of privacy. If that couple saw the post they could get mad, because they could easily recognize themself.
1 person likes this
@lelin1123 (15595)
• Puerto Rico
6 Aug 10
I can't believe that employers will not hire you if you have any of these types of accounts. There is just to much control over our lives and not a bit of privacy anymore. I don't like it and the movie 1984 is here with us, unfortunately.
@GardenGerty (160952)
• United States
6 Aug 10
Teachers, for one, are warned against these kinds of accounts. Sometimes lower and middle management and security positions as well. If I were to have an account, I would just make certain never to put anything in it that I could not say to someone's face.
1 person likes this
@Aurone (4755)
• United States
6 Aug 10
Facebook and jobs are sort of clashing some employers check out you networking sites before they hire you. I think of they had no formal written policy on networking sites they should have given her a warning and had her delete the comments butane companies have policies about defaming the company and what she said onFacebook could considered defaming of her place of work. I think companies should be developing policies in their contracts that deal with networking sites so employees know what is and is not allowed which could help there be fewer cases like this one in the future.
1 person likes this
@n_m_crutchfield (46)
• United States
6 Aug 10
That is true. However, I also think that you still have the right to your own privacy. This individual should have been proactvie in setting her infromation to private. The article did not say how the comapny found out the information. If she friended someone from the company, it was in bad taste to talk about the company knowing her information would be seen.
Most employers, while there contracts do not specifically say no social networking, they do usually say something along the lines of this job can be terminated at the employers discretion...
1 person likes this
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
6 Aug 10
no, i don't think she should have been fired over that. i think they must have been lookijng for an excuse to fire her. I'm so glad i don't have to deal w/people like her boss anymore.
@lelin1123 (15595)
• Puerto Rico
7 Aug 10
Me too! I agree with you that they must have been looking for a reason to fire her. I think anyone else would have given her a warning instead.
@lulu1220 (1006)
• United States
6 Aug 10
I cannot believe someone would get fired over this. Nor can I believe that some companies would not hire you or you would get in trouble for having a facebook or myspace account.
As for me I do talk about work on facebook. Especially about something negative. I may joke about how I do not want to go to work because the weekend is over or something like that.
@lelin1123 (15595)
• Puerto Rico
7 Aug 10
Well becareful because BIG BROTHER is watching and reading our info.
@MagicalBubbles (5103)
• Canada
6 Aug 10
Its WRONG to fire her.
I believe STRONGLY in freedom of speech. The day they prevent us from speaking our minds will be a very sad indeed.
NO they shouldnt have the right to fire anyone because of something that was said.
More and more we see people being sued or fired over what they write on facebook or twitter or myspace or video tapping.
I cherish my freedom and hate anyone who will try to take this away from me.....dont you DARE touch my freedom of speech!!
1 person likes this
@lelin1123 (15595)
• Puerto Rico
7 Aug 10
YES I AGREE 100% WITH YOU. I think it has gotten so out of control and we are losing our freedom of speech each and everyday and its very scary to me.
@cream97 (29086)
• United States
6 Aug 10
Hi, lelin1123. I would never rant on facebook about my job at all. If I have issues, I would discuss this with someone that I trust. Leaving comments on facebook is not a smart thing to do, even if it was just utterly complaining about anything that is related to work. Having privacy settings set, to private, can still be crucial. I think that it is just best to avoid discussing any personal or work related issues while on facebook.
@cream97 (29086)
• United States
6 Aug 10
You are right. It is best to keep ones mouth sealed, especially when it comes to anything on facebook. Facebook is not like it used to be. That is why I don't have a real photo and my real name on Facebook. If someone finds me, it will be impossible. And if they do find me, I have everything set to private. 
1 person likes this
@lelin1123 (15595)
• Puerto Rico
6 Aug 10
This is true and that is why I don't really give info to this site. Its just not as private as we think it is. Plus, I would not want to share my life with the world to read.
1 person likes this
@lelin1123 (15595)
• Puerto Rico
6 Aug 10
yes I don't have my picture either and I don't tell everyone my everyday business.
@Theresaaiza (10487)
• Australia
6 Aug 10
We did get in trouble because of facebook comments before. My coworker was ranting about how underpaid we were, and how her life was such a mess (personal life), and that our office was going to be closed down if nobody did anything fast (like let the main office pay the rent ASAP)
Yes the message was just implied but still it made the readers have negative impression (not just impression, but also know the entire truth) about our company.
But whether it was true or not, it was not going to help us increase our sales, OR even increase our salaries for that matter. In fact, it would only have worsened it.
Our boss had a reason for calling our attention.
But this poor lady should have been given another chance. Maybe the couple she Facebooked about were prominent individuals who had influence on the place where she worked.
1 person likes this
@BStuff (495)
• United States
6 Aug 10
This isnt the first time someone has gotten fired over Facebook. One girl got fired for putting pictures of herself in her flight attendent uniform while posing sexy.
Another friend of mine got fired for the comment she made about her boss on Facebook and this other chick printed it out and showed it to him. I thought this was a little much but people have to think about everything they put out in the internet world.
My Facebook profile is private but since the company I work for put in my contract I cant put certain things on it, like pictures of me drinking or anything to make the company look bad I am very strict with what I put on it.
I understand why companies don't want their employees saying bad things abotu clients on the web.
@lelin1123 (15595)
• Puerto Rico
7 Aug 10
Yes it wasn't the first and it won't be the last. Its still not right and I feel Big Brother is watching and reading our info and that to me is very scary.
@ybong007 (6643)
• Philippines
6 Aug 10
social networking is becoming a big deal and companies are trying to come up with do's and dont's on how an employee should disclose information in relation to their jobs. Networking sites are fast becoming the source of information that you can't normally find elsewhere. some companies normally warn an employee but others are more drastic depending on how the employee described the company. perception is a big deal and the slightest form showing a company in a bad light has it's consequences. Being fired is one of those consequences but being an employee myself i prefer that a warning is necessary before firing an employee.
1 person likes this
@lelin1123 (15595)
• Puerto Rico
6 Aug 10
This is why I don't tell people my business. I go on facebook to play games usually. I don't understand these people who put everything and anything on there. When they put what they cooked for dinner with a picture of it that is totally ridiulous and a person without a life, I think. I don't want to know what you cooked for dinner!
@oldchem1 (8132)
•
6 Aug 10
Well to be honest it where it my restaurant and an emplyee made those sorts of comments about paying customers on a site that can be read by virtually anyone I think that I would have fired them too!
I think that Facebook causes many problems like this and people are very silly about some of the things that they write on there.
1 person likes this
@lelin1123 (15595)
• Puerto Rico
7 Aug 10
Yes people shouldn't being writing every little thing on there but I also think she should have gotten a warning first.
@CTHanum (8234)
• Malaysia
6 Aug 10
hi lelin!
in this case, i don't feel sorry for her.she should be more careful when writing something on facebook.that is why i'm not writing anything about me on facebook.there is no privacy at all.i have an account on facebook but didn't do anything like commenting here and updating status there.when you are in facebook there is no term of 'talk behind someone's back'.you are talking to everyone indeed.so there is no use of commenting bad in facebook.if you are not satisfied with someone and feel like to condemn them then do it with someone beside you not your friend in facebook.--Hanum
1 person likes this
@ifa225 (14460)
• Indonesia
30 Nov 10
many people get problems with what they write in internet.
recently there is a mother being jail because she write something bad about a hospital, like bad or negative review about that. that makes me aware that i have to be more careful to what i write in online world
@free_man (7330)
• United States
17 Dec 10
Hi Lelin. No I don't think she should have been fired she had every right to get upset about this. Heck when I was a waitress the manager would encourage us not to serve them too much after they had eaten their meals. I wouldn't be a waitress ever again people don't realize how hard it is to make sure you do everything in your power to keep the customer happy to get a decent tip. I wouldn't be on a social network with my real name for nothing in the world. There are too many people out there looking to rob and do bad things to anyone not wise to use your real name on the internet these days. It is a sad thing that she lost her job for saying what was probably the truth about cheap tippers. Hope she finds a good job soon and don't let this bother her too much. Good luck!
@chipesterkhan (2925)
• Philippines
30 Nov 10
well facebook has become a place for rants and raves
people should be more careful of what they post since everyone knows what's on facebook
or reads about it
