Wednesday, April 06, 2005
I was reading this article and I thought I would share it with you....
Avoid getting fired for blogging
By Kate Lorenz CareerBuilder.com
Wednesday, April 6, 2005 Posted: 7:06 AM EDT (1106 GMT)
Two surveys by the Pew Internet & American Life Project in November 2004 found that 8 million people say they have created one and almost one-third of Internet users say they have read one.
But it's still a mystery: Six of 10 Internet users say they don't know what "blog" means.
A blog, according to Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary, is "a Web site that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments and often hyperlinks provided by the writer."
Bloggers write about their lives to keep friends and family up-to-date, talk about their industry, discuss hobbies or rant about their favorite reality TV show.
But posting pictures of you at work, disclosing confidential information about an employer or bad-mouthing co-workers could get you in hot water for committing inappropriate behavior.
Whether or not it's intentional, divulging dirt about your job can spell trouble at work.
Whatever bloggers are writing about work, employers don't like it. Employees reportedly have been fired for blogging at a number of companies, including Starbucks, Delta Air Lines, Wells Fargo, Friendster and Kmart.
In a January survey by the Society for Human Resource Management, 3 percent of human resource professionals reported disciplining an employee for blogging, and none reported dismissing an employee for such behavior. Nevertheless, ejected bloggers stand by their claims.
What could be grounds for termination? If you are disclosing trade secrets or proprietary or confidential information on your blog or using excessive amounts of time when you should be working, it's possible you will reap the consequences, says Rosemary Haefner, vice president for human resources at CareerBuilder.com.
"Companies need to do their best to not only protect their interests but protect their employees," says Jeremy Wright, fired blogger and founder of InsideBlogging, a blog consulting company.
"Most firings are due to individual bosses taking drastic measures; it is rarely a higher company decision. When a blogger is going to be fired, the HR team needs to be sure it is for the right reason and that reactive measures simply aren't being taken due to fear or personal issues."
Avoid getting fired for blogging
By Kate Lorenz CareerBuilder.com
Wednesday, April 6, 2005 Posted: 7:06 AM EDT (1106 GMT)
Two surveys by the Pew Internet & American Life Project in November 2004 found that 8 million people say they have created one and almost one-third of Internet users say they have read one.
But it's still a mystery: Six of 10 Internet users say they don't know what "blog" means.
A blog, according to Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary, is "a Web site that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments and often hyperlinks provided by the writer."
Bloggers write about their lives to keep friends and family up-to-date, talk about their industry, discuss hobbies or rant about their favorite reality TV show.
But posting pictures of you at work, disclosing confidential information about an employer or bad-mouthing co-workers could get you in hot water for committing inappropriate behavior.
Whether or not it's intentional, divulging dirt about your job can spell trouble at work.
Whatever bloggers are writing about work, employers don't like it. Employees reportedly have been fired for blogging at a number of companies, including Starbucks, Delta Air Lines, Wells Fargo, Friendster and Kmart.
In a January survey by the Society for Human Resource Management, 3 percent of human resource professionals reported disciplining an employee for blogging, and none reported dismissing an employee for such behavior. Nevertheless, ejected bloggers stand by their claims.
What could be grounds for termination? If you are disclosing trade secrets or proprietary or confidential information on your blog or using excessive amounts of time when you should be working, it's possible you will reap the consequences, says Rosemary Haefner, vice president for human resources at CareerBuilder.com.
"Companies need to do their best to not only protect their interests but protect their employees," says Jeremy Wright, fired blogger and founder of InsideBlogging, a blog consulting company.
"Most firings are due to individual bosses taking drastic measures; it is rarely a higher company decision. When a blogger is going to be fired, the HR team needs to be sure it is for the right reason and that reactive measures simply aren't being taken due to fear or personal issues."
