Employers going too far?

[dingbat]

Re: Employers going too far?

Seriously? Who cares if a teacher has a cold one out on a boat now and then? Posting a photo of it or not doesn't change the facts one iota. I do not understand how your suggesting an accident at school has anything at all to do with his having a few cold ones on his personal time unless you have an issue with drinking at all or expect teachers to be above everyone else in some way.

In our county, teachers are expected to be role models and act accordingly. While drinking is not unlawful, posting pictures of you drinking or drunk on a public media is not considered behavior becoming of a role model. A complaint from a parent would result in a verbal or written reprimand at a minimum with the possibility of suspension or dismissal from your position.

It seems we're not the only area that takes issue with the public display of inapproperate behavior by a public employee.

http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2012/04/morals.html

Increasingly, however, public school teachers are being fired or suspended for perfectly lawful activities during off-work hours when those activities are deemed inappropriate by parents or school officials.

Consider a few other such cases in the last few years:

In Pennsylvania in 2010, an unidentified teacher was suspended after a third party posted a picture on Facebook showing her with a male stripper at a bridal shower.

In Georgia in 2011, teacher Ashley Payne lost a court case challenging her forced resignation in 2009. Her departure came after a parent objected to a photo she posted to Facebook showing her holding a drink while on vacation in Europe. School officials said the posting "promoted alcohol use."

In 2009, Wisconsin teacher Betsy Ramsdale was put on leave for posting a picture of herself looking down the sight of a rifle on her Facebook site.

All of these cases involved completely lawful conduct by teachers outside of school hours. So why did they suffer consequences? As a school board member put it in the case of the Pennsylvania teacher suspended for the bridal party picture, "Everybody has a right to do what they want on their own time, but once kids and parents see it on the Internet, it becomes the school district's problem."

I mean come on, if I have a beer today and got in an accident next week would you blame it on the beer I had today? That makes no sense at all.

You and I get into an accident. I claim negligence becouse alcohol was involved and we end up in court even thou none was reported in the police report.

My lawyer suggests that you had been drinking at the time of the accident and he uses the pictures of you drinking or inebriated on Facebook to back up his claim. While there may or may not have been alcohol involved, the documents clearly shows that you have a history of alcohol abuse. Now that he has shown probable cause, we can dig a little deeper into your past history of substance abuse.

While alcohol is legal, it is still considered a drug in the eyes of the law. Posting pictures of yourself using a “drug” on the public forum probably isn’t the wisest choice.

 

[Bigprairie1]

Re: Employers going too far?

,

In our county, teachers are expected to be role models and act accordingly. While drinking is not unlawful, posting pictures of you drinking or drunk on a public media is not considered behavior becoming of a role model. A complaint from a parent would result in a verbal or written reprimand at a minimum with the possibility of suspension or dismissal from your position. It seems we're not the only area that takes issue with the public display of inapproperate behavior by a public employee.

While alcohol is legal, it is still considered a drug in the eyes of the law. Posting pictures of yourself using a “drug” on the public forum probably isn’t the wisest choice.

Well, I'm not with you on this Dingbat. Modern parenting is pretty kneejerk in terms of trends and social measurements on the best of days. What about family photos stretching way back of the family at the table hoisting a glass on thanksgiving or out on the patio in the summer having a beer with Uncle Bill, etc, etc, etc?.....bad influence or skill measurement of the education system on the kids?...never.....whatever people do, they shouldn't join the ever growing hippocrit crowd.
Second, if you ever have a beer or a glass of wine, had a scotch EVER in front of your kids....you've broken your own set of measurement rules...hey, charity begins at home dude. Someone reacting to a picture of a teacher holding a drink needs to watch a little less television and buy one more mirror.
My two bits.
BP

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: Employers going too far?

And my lawyer objects to the line of questioning as innuendo unless you have some hard evidence the judge puts an end to the fishing expedition.

x2 Pretty much my thoughts on the matter too. Amazing where this thread is going. Now Bubba is an alcoholic!

 

[hog88]

Re: Employers going too far?

Dingbat, those are all good examples of why you must control what is put out on the www. Both of my SILs are teachers and one has already been cautioned about facebook, she posted an invite to a craft beer tasting, go figure. While teachers are supposed to be role models it has become crazy with the parents, teachers risk termination for offending a parent but with 30+ kids they never know what might offend.

There is a shortage of good teachers (not teachers but good teachers) and you have busy body parents that look for any reason to raise a stink. While we complain about public education in this country we are forcing the ones that can teach out. We are now the Home of the Offended!!!!

 

[angus63]

Re: Employers going too far?

This morning I read on Careerbuilder.com that a national survey indicated that 37% of hiring managers search social networks for information on potential hires prior to presenting an offer. Those entering the workforce may wish to think twice before publishing anything online that they do not want an employer to discover. There are background search companies popping up like teenage acne now.

 

[joewithaboat]

Re: Employers going too far?

Don't know if i could find media proof of it quickly. I can think of two examples i read about and watched the video's where folks were arrested for posting video's of themselves driving well above the posted speed limit. One the man, who was a Doctor in a Ferrari, did jail time. Perfect example of what not to post to public social media.

 

[CaptainKickback]

Re: Employers going too far?

Teachers: do you think the students don't checkout their teachers fb pages? A drink is ok. Drunk of fb is not. Big difference.

Lawyers: they can get very scummy sometimes.

 

[joewithaboat]

Re: Employers going too far?

This morning I read on Careerbuilder.com that a national survey indicated that 37% of hiring managers search social networks for information on potential hires prior to presenting an offer. Those entering the workforce may wish to think twice before publishing anything online that they do not want an employer to discover. There are backround search companies popping up like teenage acne now.

That 35% is probably only a portion of those who admit to using it. I know of three people, whom i converse with regularly, that work at large companies and are involved in hiring. They all said it has been standard procedure for a couple years now.

 

[joewithaboat]

Re: Employers going too far?

Well bubba if you worked for a company that was owned by a Liberal Democrat do you think getting on your facebook page supporting the Conservative Republican cause would be a smart thing to do?

I believe it should have nothing to do with my job or how I perform it.

If someone working for and receiving money from the Catholic Church believes strongly enough for abortion rights they need to find a new job! Or be quiet!

Why? What does that have to do with my abitlty to do my job and do it well?

Point beign when you hire me or anyone you are hiring some one to do a job, not to become dictator of idiology.

I am of the opinion that most poeple wont see it that way.

Furthermore I dont think people of conviction could perform a task well, day in and day out, that went against there ideology. There are those people who really dont have much of an opinion about much of anything and are just floating through this life.

These wont be the folks running businesses and hiring and firing. They are the ones out there posting all kinds of crap to their fb pages.

At any rate ...Id suggest you dont have a fb page. I dont!

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Employers going too far?

That's why I use an anonymous proxy server in Canada for probably 75% of my internet use.

And like I told you before, anonymous proxies are notorious for stealing peoples information. Don't do any online banking using an anonymous proxy.

Of all people, I am surprised you would lower your internet security using one.

http://www.techmaal.com/5-dangers-of-using-proxy-websites.htm

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: Employers going too far?

You haven't paying attention then. But then, I've asked you to block my posts and not to respond and I would do the same with your posts. Run along..

You are welcome to your opinions, but when you use inaccurate (or worse) examples to try and underscore your argument, you can expect to get called out by someone.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Employers going too far?

I never said it was a public / commercial one anyone can use.

Doesn't mater if its commercial/public/or private. Proxy servers can intercept and store your traffic.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Employers going too far?

And so can my PC, router and every switch and service provider between me and the destination site. That's why I run encrpytion between me and the proxy. It's not perfect by any means but its a LOT more secure than an open connection.

The difference is that it is illegal to do so but all bets are off when you use the proxy outside the US.

Apparently you didn't read my link or any of the other sites that talk about this.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Employers going too far?

Illegal to run encryption? In what part of the world? Every HTTPS site in the US is encrypted.

Intercepting and storing internet traffic ...not encryption. Also, if you think encryption is totally hack proof, you are living in a fantasy world.

I just thought it was funny that someone who has a huge hang up about internet security is using a proxy when its actually making it worse.

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: Employers going too far?

Nothing in accurate but freely I admit I did not read a long article, simply a blurp on my Home Page concerning the editor (what ever flavor) being removed from his job over a difference in idiology having nothing to do with his job which was the entire point of my post. (Even you admit that was the case.) Unfortuantely small people like yourself are more interested in trying to find an excuse to throw mud at posters than listen to and grasp the meaning and reason for someone's post.

Now that you have granted me permisson to have an opinion I'll share this one with you, my opinion is that you are an *** hole. Now run tell dat!

And I freely admit that I sometimes do have difficulty grasping the meaning and reasons for your posts, but usually just shrug and drive on....
Perhaps it is just a case of differing "idiology", whatever that is.

I am not throwing mud at you....but you certainly seem to have a knack for taking any criticism of your facts as being directed at you personally.
The question posed by your thread title is reasonable and provocative, but perhaps beyond your ability to discuss rationally if you do not recognise a significant difference between your claim of a Junior editor being dismissed for voicing an opinion on a current political issue (never happened) and the actual event, which was a Senior Editor working for a magazine aimed at black women, whose boss was a black editor-in-chief, and who posted racially offensive material on his Facebook page.

Do you honestly not recognise and comprehend that difference?

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Employers going too far?

how you ever got the idea encryption was illegal (its not)

I agree. Its not illegal. I never said it was.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Employers going too far?

I was responding to "And so can my PC, router and every switch and service provider between me and the destination site. "

 

[Bigprairie1]

Re: Employers going too far?

Fundamentally....and getting back to Bubba's original point, people should learn and use immense discretion about what they post on line. If you can't...then get a frikkin' diary or journal and write it in there....or get some friends and go out for a quick rant over a few beers.
In the learning age of online activity...anything goes for the moment, so simply remove yourself from harm's way....it really is not that hard.
My two bits...again
BP

 

[Bigprairie1]

Re: Employers going too far?

I don't disagree with you at all about using judgment but the idea that everyone has to share the same ideology with "the boss" as a condition of employment is more than a little disturbing to me.

Agreed.
Basic backstatement: I have no qualms about direct but respectful conversations with either sub-ordinates, contemporaries or superiors regarding differences in opinion....love it actually, its always interesting and I always try to be respectful. I'm not a yeller, gossip or a table thumper....I just believe in certain basics that have always worked for me and proven themselves to have longevity in terms of resolvement and balance.
I try to continue this when the 'online' light is lit.....and others would benefit from doing this too I think.
Good thread!
BP

 

[halfmoa]

Re: Employers going too far?

In regards to Bubba's original post, I do believe that certain individuals have obligations to limit their publicly expressed opinions. A school teacher should probably not be posting pictures on Facebook of themselves puking on Saturday night with the caption "Blowing off steam from the work week". Posting a pic of themselves at a winery with friends with the caption "Enjoying time off with friends" is much more acceptable. Fact is they may both be getting blasted drunk because the little loud mouthed brat in their class is driving them nuts but I wholeheartedly agree that, due to their profession, they should limit their public image to socially acceptable ideologies. If they'd like to post pics of themselves barfing in the street, maybe they should work for the construction company I used to work for. They obviously didn't mind that kind of thing.

On the topic of limiting yourself to texts and emails....well....your text messages are actively monitored. About 2 years ago we received a call from a cell provider who notified us of a series of text messages about someone witnessing what they believed was a body being rolled up in a tarp and thrown in a truck bed. They provided us with not only the phone owners name, DOB, address, phone number, email address and secondary contacts but their current location as well. You are, indeed, being monitored.