All of us have used Facebook to vent. We voice our opinions in our statuses and express our emotions by uploading intimate moments through pictures and videos. It makes us feel like a part of other people’s lives, and allows us to share our moments and views with others.
However, if there is one thing that we should never forget when we are participating in online conversations or sharing our lives by uploading pictures with friends and family, it is that Facebook is similar to an all-knowing entity that can be accessed by anybody to get a real picture of the person that is you!
Confused? Let me explain it by giving a few examples. According to a survey by a leading British firm, one in five divorce cases use Facebook activity as a reference. To put in even clearer words, a lot of people have found conclusive evidence that their partners are involved in other affairs through the help of Facebook and have used the wall posts and pictures as one of the proofs of infidelity of their partner. So the next time you think you can get away with flirting with someone or poking someone on Facebook, think again!
A woman working for a Nationale Suisse, a Swiss insurance company, lost her job because of her time on Facebook. She took a day off claiming she was sick and needed to lie down for a day, but she was found using Facebook actively throughout the day by her employers. The company treated the case as a violation of work ethic and immediately fired the woman.
In a similar case, Nathalie Blanchard, 29, applied for a long term sick leave from her employer, IBM, for undergoing treatment for depression. She was receiving monthly installments from her insurance company, Manulife, until she suddenly stopped receiving any kind of monetary support. When she contacted the insurance company, they told her that they saw several pictures of her in places like beaches and strip-tease clubs and she looked cheerful in them, so there was no reason to entertain her claim any more.
More recently, after finding a new job in Ivell Marketing & Logistics mundane, Kimberley Swann decided to vent some of her anger and boredom through her status messages on Facebook. Little did she know, that her boss had also seen the comments. He called her the very next day and handed her an employment termination letter, saying these exact words – “'Following your comments made on Facebook about your job and the company we feel it is better that, as you are not happy and do not enjoy your work, we end your employment with Ivell Marketing & Logistics with immediate effect”.
For all you prospective employees out there, Facebook can either make or break your career. No convinced?!- Be sure to follow my next blog article which outlines the do’s and don’ts of Facebook and how you can potentially create or destroy your entire image through the social networking Web site. Till then, play safe and keep certain opinions to yourself!
