Firms taking action against worker blogs

[sabra]

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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7116338/

Firms taking action against worker blogs
Fired for breaking company rules; First Amendment doesn't apply

The Associated Press

Updated: 10:07 a.m. ET March 7, 2005

NEW YORK - Flight attendant Ellen Simonetti and former Google employee Mark Jen have more in common than their love of blogging: They both got fired over it. Though many companies have Internet guidelines that prohibit visiting porn sites or forwarding racist jokes, few of the policies directly cover blogs, or Web journals, particularly those written outside of work hours.

Simonetti had posted suggestive photographs of herself in uniform, while Jen speculated online about his employer's finances. In neither case were their bosses happy when they found out.

"There needs to be a dialogue going on between employers and employees," said Heather Armstrong, a Web designer fired for commenting on her blog about goings on at work. "There's this power of personal publishing, and there needs to be rules about what you can or cannot say about the workplace."

On blogs, which are by their very nature public forums, people often muse about their likes and dislikes — of family, of friends, of co-workers. Currently, some 27 percent of online U.S. adults read blogs, and 7 percent pen them, according to The Pew Internet and American Life Project.

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[elehhhhna]

1. 1.) Blogging from work: totally unnaceptable

2.) Public statements that annoy your employer could get you fired. Most are right-to-work (read fire) states. Blog w/ an alias if necessary.

Employers are not always the big-bad wolf. People should use their heads a little more.

[mom cat]

2. The blogs in question were not written while at work.

[Warpy]

3. I can see firing somebody

for doing porno pics in an easily identified company uniform. That constitutes misuse of a coprighted item or company property or something.

However, complaining about a company's questionalbe business practices should be covered under whistleblower statutes, even though I know it isn't. It should be. Had he also alerted the proper regulatory agency in writing, he'd be covered.

[LisaM]

4. Well giving out sensitive financial information off the job seems wrong

I think employers have the right to expect confidentiality in sensitive matters.

I don't have a problem with people posing nude, but for goodness' sake, don't do it in your employer's uniform! All she had to do was cover up the logo (the way they do for sports calendars where they block out the team logos.)

[Tempest]

5. She didn't pose nude, or even suggestively

I saw her pictures and they were innocent enough. Just a stewardess having a little fun. Hell, there wasn't even any bra showing.

[kodi]

6. employers have a right to expect secrecy from their employees.

corporate secrets, other than potentially illegal actions should not be discussed in public, and only then to the authorities.

would an employee like it if the corporation blogged about how dumb their employees were or talked about office gossip?

i can see it now..."ole' harry in shipping has been in the bathroom most of the day, and boy oh boy, what the hell did he have to eat yesterday? something must have crawled up inside him and died. we had to get maintainece in to fumigate ther damn men's room."

[Lindacooks]

7. How about being fired for mentioning your job in your

website that helps abuse victims? Oh, and did I mention that NO WHERE in any of the company's policies was this 'deal breaker' mentioned. And the company knew about the website (that, once again, helps abuse victims) before offering the job.

[NV Whino]

8. People need to use their heads

Anything you put on the Internet is in the public domaine. It also in in writing. It's not like going home and complaining to your significant other or friends. Put it in a blog and it's public for anyone to read or see.

[BrightKnight]

9. She has a preogressive blog.

Some of her links include “Marriage is love”, “Cost of the War in Iraq”, “current terror level: Bert”, and “Free Speech online.“ She also supported John Kerry.

The flight attendant stereotype is not exactly PC. Delta is apparently actively encouraging the stereotype. I understand that this will be the new Delta uniform: .

She played with the image a bit:

She is expected to work in a sexually charged environment. I think that she should be free to talk about it. I cannot see the Delta logo on her uniform.

It is unfortunate that there is no union helping her.

Delta has not lost any business because of her blog. Further, firing her generated a flood of free publicity.