Talking Smack On Your Boss Is Now Acceptable
Well, sort of. You no longer have to whisper sweet nothings of authoritative despair by the water cooler because labor regulators declared many such blanket restrictions illegal when it comes to have that same venting, but online. That’s right, the days of being terrified that you’ve posted on your Facebook “man, my boss was a real four letter word today at work” and are going to be let go are slowly starting to fade. As of January 1, 2013, California and Illinois became the fifth and sixth states to bar companies from asking employees or job applicants for their social network passwords, but I think we can all agree publicly that spewing negative comments about the hand that feeds you is a rather dangerous move.
Yes, it is your right to discuss work conditions freely without restrictions. Sure. Now, how freely is too freely? Well, let’s use our noodle here. If you hate your job that much, Lil’ Momma says (I’m Lil’ Momma) you need to start looking elsewhere. If you are constantly going to the net to let off steam about work conditions, then you either bring it up professionally with the hopes of rectifying it or skee-daddle. There is no need to take to the net every hump day to crap all over your boss. Now, on the other end of the spectrum, if you are discussing internal work policies on your personal Facebook in a way that could be considered constructive, I completely understand what it’s like to take to the internet Twitter gods to get your feelings out in a forum that is, by nature, yours and yours alone. Just understand that though you are protected in a case by case manner, there will be repercussions, because, well, that’s how gossip works, kittens.
Just like in any sitch where you’ve decided to talk smack, get ready for the evil eye in the hallway or perhaps unfairly getting ostracized from that very thrifty car pool setup you have. This is not a threat, this is logic. You can talk all the smack you want, but there will be heck to pay. I personally condone the idea of “applying general rules to new technology” per the New York Times article that was released. Preach, sister, preach. You have a freedom and a right to discuss how you may. But, let’s look at this from a “being a good person POV.” Just because the boundaries might be a tad lifted, doesn’t mean you forget what the word “classy” means. To elaborate, if you have nothing nice or beneficial to say, you’re best not saying anything at all in an arena that has many eyes watching and waiting for you to, well, mess up.
Write your thoughts down in a diary, talk to a friend privately, and work the situation out internally, as our friends at Jezebel suggested. You may feel at that impulsive moment that it will release all your hatred to get it out on the ole FB, but in the end you are stirring the pot to create well, social media drama, mama. See you online!
Featured image via Shutterstock
