How much control should companies have over employees' social lives, and their social networking lives in particular? In the age of Facebook, that question is currently being debated in courtrooms
across the county. "Job seekers and employees have long been warned that risqué revelations on Facebook can jeopardize career prospects," reports
The Wall Street Journal. "But now companies are facing their own challenges for alleged blunders in dealing
with social media." Next week, for example, a National Labor Relations Board judge will consider whether a medical-transportation company illegally fired a worker after she criticized her boss on
Facebook.
Other threats to companies include sexual-harassment suits in response to managers repeatedly trying to "friend" subordinates on Facebook, or job applicants accusing managers of
reneging on job offers in light of Facebook-spread religious affiliations. Experts tell The Journal that an employer's best defense against legal action is to establish a social-media policy "that
outlines what is and isn't appropriate in social media," and then to train employees accordingly.
Read the whole story at Wall Street Journal »
