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Could your digital life hurt your employment law claim?

On Behalf of | Dec 15, 2021 | Employment Law

Social media and employment frequently overlap. You may have found out about a job opening while scrolling through your feed. Companies with strong online brands may have an easier time recruiting younger workers. It’s also common for modern workers to connect with their co-workers and customers on social media.

However, your social media use can also be a complicating factor when something goes wrong at your job. If you have to make a legal claim against your employer, what you say on social media at that point could potentially hurt you. What are some of the ways that your social media content might impact an employment law claim?

It could give the company an excuse to fire you

Perhaps one of the most significant concerns about your use of social media during an employment law claim is that it could end your employment. Many companies have policies on employee social media used in their handbooks or contracts.

If you post about your dispute with your employer, leave negative reviews for the business online or otherwise violate the company’s social media policy, that could lead to a legally justifiable termination.

It could give the company evidence to use against you

Maybe you’ve brought a lawsuit against your former employer and have already started work for a new company. Posting complaints about your new workplace might give your former employer ammunition against you in court. They can make you look like someone who is never happy or who likes to cause trouble at work.

On the other hand, if you simply share generic content, such as you smiling at a social gathering in a picture, your employer might use that as evidence that you didn’t suffer distress because of workplace discrimination or that your work injury wasn’t as serious as you claimed.

It could damage your character in the eyes of the court

Even if you avoid talking about your work at all, your sense of humor or online conduct could hurt your case in civil court or during negotiations. It is common for people facing a legal matter to completely lock down their social media accounts, making them inaccessible to other people.

Choosing not to post online can be a difficult change for someone used to using social media every day. Still, doing so could protect your rights during your claim against your employer.