Can Facebook get you fired?

I had an absolutely fascinating discussion with Jeff Allan this morning about the case of two British Columbia car dealership employees who were fired after posting nasty things about their bosses on Facebook. Jeff hosts a show on Kitchener's 570News radio station, and they often have me on to talk about all things tech and what they really mean to us.

The employees in this case appealed the decision, saying it was related to their involvement in getting the dealer unionized. The BC Labour Relations Board rejected the appeal, so they're still very much fired, ostensibly for assuming their Facebook rants - which included thinly veiled musings about committing violent acts against dealership managers - were somehow privileged because they weren't delivered on-site, or they were said outside of business hours.

Naive only begins to describe these two - and pretty much everyone else who fails to understand the power baked into social media tools like Facebook, Twitter and even blogs (like, OMG, this one!) Time and again, people think they can say what they want online, and do so with complete impunity. Right.

News flash, folks: Anything you can and do say in the court of social media can and will get you fired. Before you click Publish or Send, ask yourself if what you're about to commit to Internet eternity will do you and your career more harm than good.

In other words, think.

Your turn: Thoughts?

Links:
- Jeff's blog
- Podcasts from past shows