My old coworker in Denver got fired for a joke he posted on a private account

He made a dumb joke about our boss on a locked Twitter account with only 50 followers, but someone took a screenshot and sent it to HR. They said it broke the company's social media policy, even though his profile didn't mention the company at all. Has anyone else seen a firing happen over something posted on a totally private account?

4 comments

4 Comments

evahenderson2mo ago

Honestly, companies have to protect their image. A private post can still get out and hurt the business. It's fair to have rules that cover all online behavior.

samflores1mo ago

Brought a guy into our office once for doing the same kind of thing. He posted a picture on his private Instagram of himself flipping off a competitor's product with some caption about how stupid it was. Someone from the other company found it, sent it to our CEO, and that was it. He was gone by the end of the week. Said it violated some goodwill clause in the handbook. Makes you wonder what the point of a private account even is if someone can just screenshot anything.

park.miles2mo ago

That "private account" thing is a trap. I got burned years ago posting about a client on what I thought was a friends-only page. Screenshots travel fast. My rule now is if you wouldn't say it in the office break room with the boss standing there, don't type it anywhere a phone can take a picture. Companies look for any reason they can find.

the_susan2mo ago

Park's right about the break room rule. I treat every single post like it's public, because screenshots make privacy settings pointless. Assume anything you type can and will be used against you.