Business/Economy

My employee posted on Facebook about me — and not in a good way. Can I fire him?

Q: I recently learned that one of my employees described me on his Facebook page as the worst supervisor he’s ever worked for. According to my source, the employee also said he’d like to dissect me like a frog to find out whether I have a heart.

I called our corporate HR officer and said I didn’t want this employee in my department or our company. She said that if this employee’s post was done on his own time and computer, he had the right to post what he did. She also said the employee has National Labor Relations Act protection for what he posts, and if we fire him, he can sue for retaliation. Is that accurate, and what can I do?

A: If you terminate this employee, he can sue or bring the matter before a regulatory agency. That doesn’t mean he’ll win. While it can be difficult to terminate an employee for a social media post, it can be done.

On April 12, a regulatory agency ruled against an employee who made a similarly threatening post. Assistant manager Shannon Cummins posted she would have “sliced” her supervisor’s “throat open” if their heated argument had occurred after work instead of during the workday. When Cummins filed for unemployment benefits, she contended her post was not disqualifying misconduct because it occurred on her own time and was a hypothetical and not an actual threat. A three-judge appeals panel rejected her contention and ruled that “there is no requirement that an employee’s misconduct must occur on the employer’s premises or while the employee is on duty to be considered work-related.”

The appellate panel additionally ruled that Cummins’ post constituted a threat because she expressed her intent to cause harm even though it was “hypothetical.” (Cummins v. Unemployment Comp. Bd. of Review, April 12, 2019).

Your HR official speaks the truth when she said that the National Labor Relations Act protects every employee’s right to engage in “concerted activity” concerning issues such as pay, safety, working conditions or when questioning a supervisor related to company policy. The act covers employees when they speak or post for the benefit or on behalf of others.

Employers can’t stop employees from discussing work-related issues, even if they’re venting in the company breakroom, because when employees engage in a dialogue with one another to criticize working conditions, pay rates or their supervisors or managers, it’s considered concerted, protected activity.

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Not all of an employee’s online activity, even when it addresses workplace matters, constitutes protected activity. Employees don’t have free rein to air their grievances. Protected activity doesn’t include personal venting when the employee isn’t contemplating group action. Employees lose NLRA protection when they engage malicious behavior, sabotage or disclose trade secrets.

Employers can terminate employees whose social media posts violate legitimate employer policies; divulge confidential information; threaten or harass others; contain discriminatory material; or constitute hate speech. Employers can fire employees when the employees post information on social media that proves the employee lied, such as when the employee takes medical or disability-related leave for a bogus reason.

When deciding whether the employee deserves NLRA protection, the National Labor Relations Board assesses the employee’s objective when making their posts; whether the communication mentions the terms or conditions of employment; and the extent to which other employees have participated in the conversation.

Here’s what you need to go forward. Obtain and preserve a copy of the post in case your employee deletes it. Find out whether your employee was sounding off or interacting with his co-workers on his Facebook page. Once you’ve got the facts, take the issue to your chief executive officer. While the NLRA prohibits employers from taking action against employees acting together to improve their wages, hours and/or conditions of employment, this post appears to be personal venting and contains a threat. Yes, your employee is protected, but so are you.

Lynne Curry | Alaska Workplace

Lynne Curry writes a weekly column on workplace issues. She is author of “Navigating Conflict,” “Managing for Accountability,” “Beating the Workplace Bully" and “Solutions,” and workplacecoachblog.com. Submit questions at workplacecoachblog.com/ask-a-coach/ or follow her on workplacecoachblog.com, lynnecurryauthor.com or @lynnecurry10 on X/Twitter.

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