by KYW's Amy Feldman
A backlash ensued recently after the mayor of a small town in Oregon posted photos of herself in lingerie posing on a fire truck on her myspace page. A recall election was held and she was unseated (despite her lovely seat). Got a myspace page? Think that your employer won’t judge you on it even if you don’t report to the public at large?
With the popularity of social networking sites like myspace exploding, people have the idea that what they post on the web on their own time is their own business and that they can’t be fired for it. WRONG! What you do off duty is up to you, but if you violate your employers’ policy or the law, don’t think you can’t be punished for it. Employers are well within their rights to discipline workers who violate policy—even off duty—and particularly those stupid enough to publicize their bad acts. In case you were wondering, you need not pity the former mayor—she’s decided that not only is she a good website poster, she should be an actual poster—she’s selling the poster of herself guess where? On the internet where she now knows people will find it.
E-Mail Story
Print Story
