My cousin's friend in Phoenix got canned for a dumb joke about the company coffee machine, and I always said 'free speech' until my own boss pulled me aside after I posted a rant about a client's project on my private account.

I argued it was my personal page, but he showed me our handbook's social media policy, which I'd signed, that clearly said 'no public complaints about work' and that was the moment I got why companies have those rules, even if they feel unfair.

3 comments

3 Comments

kim_ramirez32mo ago

Oh man, that's the thing though. It's not really about free speech, that's for the government. Your boss is just protecting the company's name, which kinda makes sense when you think about it. We all sign those things without reading them.

roberts.leo2mo ago

My buddy got fired for a tweet.

jamief672mo ago

Yeah the "free speech" thing is a total mix-up, it only means the government can't arrest you for your opinion. But a company can absolutely fire you for making them look bad online, that's just how it works. Those social media policies are real and they can enforce them. It sucks for your friend, but legally they're usually in the clear unless it's about something like union stuff.