Should I post about my boss? Will I get fired? Employees walk a fine line when using their social media presence to speak out about their employers. In Rhode Island, like most states, an employer can terminate or discipline an employee for any reason (as long as it is not unlawful). So, with limited exceptions, there is nothing preventing an employer from terminating one of its workers if he/she tweets a criticism about his/her boss. There are countless instances of employees posting offensive comments (here is an interesting list) or misleading posts and then being fired because of it. Again, if an employer believes that the employee’s post was improper or negatively impacts its business it may lawfully terminate the employee. Posting while at work is also a terminable offense. Employers can fire an employee for posting on social media while on company time. In addition, posting about your own illegal activity or making negative remarks about customers will almost always lead to employees being fired.
Despite this and though employers have a strong interest in protecting their businesses, social media is a powerful tool that cannot be unlawfully constrained. If you believe that you were wrongfully terminated or disciplined due to a social media post, please contact us.
To play it safe, maybe posting anonymously is an employee’s best option!