Employee Rights on Facebook Posted on November 12th, 2010 by

By Emma Strand, 11/12/2010

Facebook is designed to help us connect with friends and family and share our photos, thoughts, and stories. However, Facebook also blurs the line between our personal and professional lives as employers find access to their employees’ profiles. We know that employers may choose not to hire a candidate because of content on their Facebook page–but can an existing employee be fired because of Facebook?

A new development in the ongoing debate over Facebook and privacy rights occured earlier this month when Dawnmarie Souza, an Emergency Medical Technician for the American Medical Response of Connecticut, complained about her supervisor in a Facebook post. Ms. Souza used several vulgarities in the post, prompting her supervisor to fire her soon after. The National Labor Relations Board believes that the employee was fired illegally and has filed a complaint. The decision in this case could have a lasting impact on all Facebook users.

Read the full New York Times story here: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/09/business/09facebook.html?_r=1.

 

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