new thread
I used be an active member of this blog 5 years ago but now I'm back! Its good to see some familiar faces but mostly everyone here is new! About me - Well, just got fired from my job today for "offensive internet material" that some coworkers found on my facebook account. Turns out it was a link that I had to my blog!
They gave me a chance and said I HAVE to take my blog down. So I refused out of principle. But I never thought my blog was that offensive anyway so I'm thinking about fighting it. The link is below. Do you guys think its that bad??? Do you think I would have a case against them? Thanks!
[URL="http://infectedcalf.blogspot.com/"]http://infectedcalf.blogspot.com/[/URL]
I think you may have a very strong case. Seriously, what does your personal blog have to do with job performance? For what it's worth, I think you've got a pretty cool sense of humor (and a wicked impressive head of hair), so thanks for the laughs, and welcome back to the MLHH.
--Val
It looks like they invaded your privacy, in a way. You did not bring your blog into the workplace. You could take down the link to it from what information they have of you, or make a separate facebook account for business and professional purposes, keeping your other one private. But if they're digging through your personal stuff, then saying YOU offended THEM?????? That's just wierd. They don't seem to know what is their business and what is not. I'm 45 and I've seen privacy & respect go right out the window through my life. You'll probably have to get another job anyway, but I'd try to fight it if I felt like it and had the time & money. I think pre paid legal is pretty inexpensive.
That is ridiculous. I would be furious if that happened to me. Writing a harmless blog has nothing to do with your job performance. I suppose everyone at the company acts exactly like they do at work in their spare time. Stunning.
Employers already try to control personal aspects of our lives enough as it is! You can see that constantly being a problem just by following this board. A job is simply a contract to do work for a company in exchange for money. It is absolutely none of their business to follow what you do outside of work, much less FIRE you for it.
I would fight this with all my might. I think you have a strong chance of success. It's possible that they might have other reasons to want to get rid of you (dare I say your hair?), and were just looking for an excuse. What kind of job was it, if I might ask?
By the way, your blog is awesome. You have an entertaining writing style.
-Dan H.
Re: Dan H
I'll just say it was a big box company. One of those super-corporations that seem to have their hands in everything. It was a good job with benefits and security. The hourly wage wasn't bad either. Thanks for the kinds words about my blog.
What the f*%@ are they doing looking through your facebook & blog links anyway? Aren't they supposed to be working???
I know hey? I appreciate your concern over my situation. Its good to see that theres a team out there. I am very adaptable and even though I've been with the company a long time, I know things will only get better. I'll still fight this though, just out of principal!
Cool! Attorneys can be so fun to talk to when they think you have something!
I don't see anything offensive, and it's none of their business what private opinions you air on the net. I doubt they have the right to force you to close your blog - depends on what's in your contract.
Happy growing!
I'd say you got shafted, especially since there's nowhere on that blog that your name appears to connect it to you.
In the future, keep your work life as far from your personal life as possible, especially on social networks. In fact, now would be a good time to check your privacy settings so that anything "unprofessional" isn't publicly-viewable.
Dude,
You should blog about your experience. Then other people link to your blog post and eventually your employer is publicly humiliated and forced to recant. The more detailed your story, the more likely other people will want to pass it on.
This is a good idea. If nothing else, it will feel good.
Welcome back to the MLHH.
I have a quick look at your blog and I like your humour. I think that you have a strong case that's for sure. The only thing is did you have to sign any terms and conditions for using the companies internet and the usual stuff for "work purposes" and i know some companies put blocks in things like Facebook and Myspace. Working in IT myself our customers do ask for us to blocks on certain websites but I think that's going over the top.
Good luck with you appeal.
Cheers,
John.B
I suggest that you contact the Electronic Frontier Foundation (http://www.eff.org) if you want to file a lawsuit against your ex-employer. They will put you in touch with lawfirms specialized in such cases. You might want to contact ACLU as well - the bigger the stink you raise about this the better.
--
A Linux Longhair
Great sense of humor there. It amazes me how prudish "needle-butted" some people can be. I agree with the point made that perhaps they were grasping at straws to "find" an excuse to get rid of you. They are probably jealous of the mane anyway. It is none of an employers business what your personal business is. Do they have company policies against being on Facebook/Twitter/myspace, etc? I agree fight a good fight and if it is a losing one, chock it up to them being the f**ktards they are. If it does get found out it's regarding the mane, if they have no policies for the female coworkers having long hair, could possibly be viewed as discriminatory. Keep us posted. And good luck to you.
Charlie
That's humour in english!
I'm not a lawyer, but I'd say you just got fired without cause. There are even some states where they can do that, though (e.g. Virginia). They even have the black humour to call those 'right to work' states!
Everything depends on where you are and even what you were employed to do. If you were an officer of the company (as it' s called in the US) or a company director (UK terminology) you might be expected to have a particular responsibility to uphold the reputation of the company, but I'm guessing you weren't. Generally, though, I wouldn't think they have any cause to fire you, but they may not need one (see above).
Good luck!
Thats a very good point. I should have got a union job.
Quite frankly, I see no justification to fire you.
Your blog is just a collections of humourous thoughts and musings.
However, you did not say what your job is. If it's with a religious organisation, perhaps the name of your blog ie. the "unreligious" part could have been deemed in contradiction to their position.
Otherwise, it could just be an excuse to get you or to "lay you off" without compensation, given the state of the economy.
BTW. Lovely hair.
--------------------------------------------
I don't see anything wrong with your blog. It seems that your employer lacks a sense of humour.
Hopefully legal action (or the threat thereof) will make them think twice about what they have done.
Scott
There is nothing wrong with your blog. What part was you boss complaining about?
The boss I had at my last job would actually enjoy reading your blog.
In particular they didn't like this post:
"The idea of building a holocaust monument using Jewish slave workers is offensive and therefore has no business on this site"
what was your job?
Jerome