Can Personal Posts become Professional Problems?
Social media is an unavoidable part of everyday life, it is how people communicate and document their experiences. However, it is very easy for an informal post to go beyond the intended audience of close family and friends, reaching the general public. This means that one’s persona on social media can be seen by employers as a proxy for their professionalism and personal judgment. While the internet operates as a virtual “Wild West” with little to no rules, federal organizations offer some guidance as to employees’ communication and expression on social media like the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Ultimately it is on the employees to understand the risks a social media presence poses and what protections exist.