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Blogging and Keeping Our Jobs
I have been wanting to write this for quite a while now. I always said I would do it later. So now! Recently (and also not that recently) I read quite a few stories about people who lost their jobs for blogging (e.g. a former Google employee Mark Jen, web designer Heather Armstrong). So, First Amendment only restricts governmental control of speech, but companies are free to fire any employee who writes ‘unpleasant’ stuff by their standards. Tho this is only applicable to bloggers who blog under their real name. So, the solution seems pretty simple. If we want to be bitching our employer, we will just write a blog under some silly nick. But truly, it is not that simple at all. It is only a matter of hour, before someone who really wants to find out who the blogger is gets to us. As blogging appears to be spreading around like a virus, companies should consider writing up guidelines for possible blogging by employees. Most companies already have the policy for internet usage so they should include the blogging bit as well. But sure, we alone have to be very conscious of any unpleasant consequences our blogging might have.
So, I am asking myself how my blog can get me in trouble with regard to my job. Hm, so far, I didn’t write anything bad about people from my work. But where are the limits? Would I at all be aware of it, if I did it? What if I wrote just some harmless thoughts and someone would feel offended?
I’d like to hear your opinion. Have you got similar concerns?
By Nana | April 3, 2005 | Topics: Blogging |