Man fired after Facebook post

[Hum]

Colorado man Joe Lobato was fired after posting a status update complaining about work. Joe told KUSA 9News that he was feeling severely sick on the job.

Lobato said it was so bad that, "It felt like someone was kicking me in my stomach."

He went on to say that his supervisor?s response to his illness was less than sympathetic, reporting, "He told me I wasn't allowed to leave my machinery again."

At his computer, Joe logged in to Facebook and vented, posting a 9-sentence status update that included the statement, ?Guess they think a person is a machine and can?t get sick.?

Joe?s co-worker/friend reported the post to their boss, which led to Lobato?s termination for ?gross misconduct? and posting negative comments about the company on a public forum.

The National Labor Relations Board says that while employees have the right to discuss work conditions on Facebook, employers can take action against worker rants online.

Further, social media experts warn that nothing is fully private in the online space.

Now Lobato knows this all too well and says the online rant was not worth it as he is about to lose his house.

Joe would like to hire a lawyer to fight for his job back, but cannot afford one.

At a recent hearing with his former employer, he was told that his firing was justified.

source & video

[psionicinversion]

not much of a friend then hahah

[nrjperera]

This guy's so called Co-worker/Friend should get fired first for kissing his boss' A**.

[Growled Member]

Some things are not to be shared out in public.

[freak180]

Some friend...I would kick his ass if any of my "friends" done something like that to me.

[spenser.d]

Every staff meeting we have at my company, our CEO reminds us "Beware of the blogs," etc. People just don't realize what can be found on the internet.

Though in this case I'd like to see what his "friend" has to say.

[techbeck]

Why no one at my work will ever be friends with me on FB. I get asked every now and then to add people, but tell them I dont use it much...which is true but even if i did, i would tell them the same.

[perochan]

NEVER EVER befriend your coworker in any social network unless you don't work there anymore.

[Rohdekill]

NEVER EVER befriend your coworker in any social network unless you don't work there anymore.

Just how is someone a "co-worker" if you don't work there?

[sagum]

NEVER EVER befriend your coworker in any social network unless you don't work there anymore.

Just do what I do, make lots of imaginary friends on facebook. The only real friend I have on facebook is my dog, and even then I have to guess what he wants his status updates to be, as he can't type with hits paws :(

On a more serious note, managing your settings on the site you're using is probably going to be better then alienating your co-workers. Either make a fake account to let them spam you with cute pictures of animals and chain mail posts, or on your real account and stick them in a category that they can't see your regular post.

Some people can't entertain the idea that you're not using a social networking site, and telling someone you don't have a facebook account is actually a lot of effort (even if you don't actually have one).

[Noir Angel]

Some people are incredibly thin skinned.

[fusi0n]

We don't know the context his "friend" told his boss about the comment.. His friend could have been doing this out of concern..

Secondly, if your job makes you feel like that, you need to find another job asap.

Also, I agree with others, Don't work with friends and don't be-friend someone at work unless you no longer work there..

[HawkMan]

NEVER EVER befriend your coworker in any social network unless you don't work there anymore.

Or, don't talk **** about work in public.

[Brian M. Veteran]

Or, don't talk **** about work in public.

Exactly - rule of thumb with work related social network posts - don't post anything you wouldn't be happy to put on a billboard outside your bosses' door.

[HawkMan]

that goes after you quit/get fired as well.

no one wants to hire a whiner who talks crap about his employers. and remember, if it's on the net, they can find it/see it. Do not assume anonymity or privacy.

[NightScreams]

Truths and realities about employers and companies........it hurts.

[+Warwagon MVC]

Yep if you want to talk **** about your employer, then post it on a blog under a fake name and change the name of the workplace you are bitching about.

[Growled Member]

The best thing is not to have many friends these days. Have acquaintances. And trust no one.

[Noir Angel]

People should have the right to vent if they want to.

[HawkMan]

People should have the right to vent if they want to.

Sure, but you don't went on a public forum. employers have no right to keep employees who are not happy with being where they are or who write crap about them in public. if you want to vent, do it ina pirvate diary or to a friend.

[Noir Angel]

Employers should have no right to pry into what we do in our private lives full stop. You wouldn't tolerate an employer putting a hidden mic in your home so why should we tolerate them snooping on our Facebook accounts? If this post was private and another employee had to show it to the employer, it means the employer was snooping on something they hadn't been given consent to access. The fact that it's the Internet doesn't automatically give companies elevated rights to snoop on your private affairs.

[HawkMan]

Employers should have no right to pry into what we do in our private lives full stop.

This is the only part of your post I need to read.

Facebook is NOT private.

Hence:

Sure, but you don't went on a public forum. employers have no right to keep employees who are not happy with being where they are or who write crap about them in public. if you want to vent, do it in a private diary or to a friend.

[Noir Angel]

That's bullcrap. Facebook's TOS only give them access to your data, if you set your profile to private and people snoop on it without your permission they ARE violating your privacy.

[HawkMan]

That's bullcrap. Facebook's TOS only give them access to your data, if you set your profile to private and people snoop on it without your permission they ARE violating your privacy.

Sorry but, the FB TOS means bullcrap to your employer. and even if you set it to private, you're still posting it publicly online. and if other people can see it, your employer can see, it if not directly indirectly. If you have a private FB with just your 2-3 best friends sure, but you're still doing it at your own risk, posting it on a public internet forum.

use your head or lose your job. simple. just like you don't tell your next employer at the interview why you quit or got fired from your last job if you want the job.

[fusi0n]

Yep if you want to talk **** about your employer, then post it on a blog under a fake name and change the name of the workplace you are bitching about.

Sounds like SOMEONE has done this before.. ;)