A recent article in the AP examined a woman who was fired for posts made on Facebook. The company was sued by the Labor Board, and recently made a settlement, in which they revised their “social networking policy”.

This is interesting. There are a lot of things to consider when you post something online – whether it’s on Facebook, your blog, or somewhere else. As Professor Mark Reynolds, a respected industry leader (and also my dad – happy birthday dad!), one said, “Assume that everything you say online, in an email or on the web, is for everyone’s eyes.”

The issue in the article cited is that the woman was complaining about “working conditions.” Had she been complaining about a specific client, it is very likely the case would have gone against her.

Also, I’m not 100% sure on this, but it appeared that the company she worked for may have been affiliated with a local government, granting her more protection than, for instance, someone working at MiniFirm, Inc.

Finally, certain states (Texas included) are “At-Will” states… meaning they don’t need a reason to let you go. If the employer is concerned that you are posting negatively about them on Facebook… They may not let you go for that, they may just say “Hey, ya know, we’ve decided to make some cut-backs…” And the rest is history.

By the way, thanks to Ali on Facebook for bringing this to my attention. Very cool!