One day, we will probably live in a world where online activity will be far too complicated to track. But that day is not yet upon us and our actions on social networks can have an effect on our livelihood. Can Facebook get you fired? Yes. And here’s how.
Calling in “Sick”: Remember in school when you played hooky with your friends then gabbed about it the next day? Well, some days you may feel like doing the same thing at work. Calling in “sick” is something I would never suggest doing, but I won’t deny that it happens. Whether it’s a beautiful day to spend in the park with your love, a beach day with friends, or a much needed self-improvement day, stay away from spreading the news on Facebook. Posting statuses regarding the killer waves, pictures of a romantic kiss in Central Park and checking in at the nail salon are further proof that you’re not “sick” and therefore a cause for firing.
Gossip Monger: Friends with co-workers or supervisors at work? If you are on complaining about them or any work-related issues via Facebook, please don’t friend them. This is the equivalent of walking into your boss’ office, sitting down and saying “I can’t stand being here. I wish I was at home watching TV.” Guess what, with those kinds of actions, you will be in no time! Whether you’re friends with them or not, refrain at all times talking about work on Facebook. Your company will most likely have policies regarding sharing information about the inner workings of the office. It’s best to leave the work topic off of your Facebook all together.
Facebook Fiend: While many companies no longer block the site, that doesn’t mean it’s alright to spend your day Facebooking at work. Excessive time spent on the site can be grounds for firing. Essentially, you are stealing “time” from the company. Just because you’re at work, doesn’t mean you’re working if you’re connected to Facebook all day. Haven’t gotten caught yet? Maybe you never will, but you might. Companies can check each computer’s activity and if you’re someone who’s not producing any work and is spending time on the social networking site…consider yourself the first target.
Acting like a responsible professional has many layers and as technology continues to advance and things become more available to us, it’s our responsibility to create boundaries for a successful future. Think about it this way, if a company of 250 employees each spent one work hour on Facebook each day, how much productive time would they have lost as a company? 65,000 hours in one year. Now, think about how that affects their bottom line, and yours.
by Laura DeAngelis
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