Top Seven Tips on How to Manage FaceBook as a Professional

Just last week I saw a client who was fired because of comments she made on FaceBook.  Still reeling from her experience, she told me she felt jilted by her employer and had been treated unfairly.  But the truth of the matter is, if handled correctly by your employer, ‘Firing by FaceBook’ is perfectly legal.

This is becoming more common as social media becomes more popular, particularly when it is used as a marketing tool by an organisation – your employer!

Imagine for a moment that your employer is promoting their products and services on FaceBook and suddenly a comment appears from an employee that a customer was a pain the #%&*!  This doesn’t look good for business.  Employers are well within their rights to make decisions about your conduct when you are discussing your place of employment in a public forum.  Yes, anything online is in fact public, so use it with caution. 

It is also becoming increasingly popular to monitor an employee’s conduct via online mediums such as FaceBook.  Many employers now have social media clauses in their employment contracts, to protect the identity and branding of their business.  This means there will be specific guidelines and rules about your employers expectations when it comes to your online behaviour.

Some basic tips for using FaceBook as a professional:

1. Don’t use FaceBook at work
Unless you have permission, do not use FaceBook at work.  It costs businesses a lot of money in unproductive time and could be a valid reason for your termination if used without permission.  Remember, employers can determine what time you were on FaceBook so don’t assume if the boss is away, the cat can play.

2. Assume your boss/colleagues are reading every post
If you must post public comments on FaceBook, always assume it is being read by those you work with.  There have been instances of employees being fired because they have bragged of taking sick leave, not realising or remembering that some of their ‘FaceBook friends’ are work colleagues.  

3. Remove offensive or incriminating comments/photos posted by others
What if you have friends who have posted comments about your wild weekend?…perhaps you behaved illegally?  What if an offensive photo is posted of you?  There have been recorded sackings due to employees posting partially nude or offensive photos on FaceBook.  Remove any incriminating evidence.

4. Monitor and adjust your privacy settings
Always ensure you settings are private to the fullest extent. Ensure your wall is not open for public viewing.  Only approve ‘FaceBook friends’ when they are in fact real-life friends.  FaceBook should not be a race to see who has the most amount of friends.  If you are serious about your professional life and your personal safety, only have friends listed and not strangers.

5. Don’t disclose personal information about yourself
Be careful of the information you post on FaceBook such as date of birth, marital status and references to places you are going.  Ensure none of this information conflicts with what you have told your employer.  And is it really necessary to post that your bikini wax went horribly wrong?  Be careful when talking about your personal experiences on FaceBook, particularly when clients or colleagues could be reading.  

6. Don’t disclose personal information about others
Be careful of the information you share on confidential and highly sensitive issues.  Perhaps you work in an organisation where the processes and procedures are top secret or the clients you see and the information you view is highly confidential.  And be considerate of others!  Do you have a friend who has just started a new job?  Be considerate and don’t post incriminating comments such as “How’s the new job? Hope you last at this one. LOL” What if their employer is reading this?

7. Mind your manners and watch your language
It still astounds me how many people swear like troopers on FaceBook.  What if your employer is reading the comments?  Behaviour like this can is a sackable offence and could seriously change the opinion your employer has of you.  Be careful what you write – it may come back to bite you.

Remember, these are just guidelines and at the end of the day it is up to you on how you manage your online presence.  If you curb your comments and personal views, you should be ok.