Teen sacked for 'boring' job Facebook comment

Bob Hubbard

Retired
MT Mentor
Founding Member
Lifetime Supporting Member
MTS Alumni
Joined
Aug 4, 2001
Messages
47,245
Reaction score
771
Location
Land of the Free
A teenager from the international financial powerhouse that is Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, was given her marching orders after bosses discovered she'd described her office administrator's post as "boring" on Facebook.
Kimberley Swann, 16, was dragged before the powers that be on Monday morning and summarily dismissed from her job at Ivell Marketing & Logistics, the Telegraph explains. She was handed a letter which read: "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."
Swann described herself as "shocked" at the perfunctory nature of her ejection as a result of the comment "on her personal site". She protested: "I did not even put the company's name, I just put that my job was boring. They were just being nosy, going through everything. I think it is really sad, it makes them look stupid that they are going to be so petty."
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/02/26/facebook_comment/


Gee, and I put my presidential platform up on mine. Good thing McDonalds doesn't check blogs how many teens rant on em about their jobs?
 

LordOfWu

Orange Belt
Joined
Feb 26, 2009
Messages
64
Reaction score
1
Location
Denver, CO
I guess it's lucky for them that she didn't have a second job that she was potentially referring to. But I agree, internet information is public, think before you type.
 

CoryKS

Senior Master
Joined
Aug 30, 2006
Messages
4,403
Reaction score
183
Location
Olathe, KS
You'd think a marketing firm would have known better than to get themselves into this position.

On the other hand, if they can come out of this looking good it will be a excellent demonstration of their skills.
 

Carol

Crazy like a...
MT Mentor
Lifetime Supporting Member
MTS Alumni
Joined
Jan 16, 2006
Messages
20,311
Reaction score
541
Location
NH
You'd think a marketing firm would have known better than to get themselves into this position.

They aren't a marketing firm. At least not a marketing firm by American perceptions (PR, MarComm, Ad Agency, etc). They are a financial/trade firm and a big one at that.
 

CoryKS

Senior Master
Joined
Aug 30, 2006
Messages
4,403
Reaction score
183
Location
Olathe, KS
They aren't a marketing firm. At least not a marketing firm by American perceptions (PR, MarComm, Ad Agency, etc). They are a financial/trade firm and a big one at that.

I see. The name's kinda misleading, at least from an American perception.
 

AceHBK

Master Black Belt
Joined
Jan 29, 2006
Messages
1,325
Reaction score
14
Location
Arizona
How did they see her Facebook profile???

I agree you have to watch what you put on the internet.
 

Hagakure

Blue Belt
Joined
Jan 22, 2009
Messages
294
Reaction score
12
Location
Eye of Terror, UK
How did they see her Facebook profile???

I agree you have to watch what you put on the internet.

A mate of mine at work was telling me about a similar thing happening to a mate of his. Let's say she works for a very, very large IT firm that deals primarily with business machines... She'd had a bad day at this company, and posted as such on her FB profile page. A "friend" of hers at this company printed off said page, and showed it to this girls manager. So, yes, be careful, but Jeez-Louise, watch yer back also!

H
 

MA-Caver

Sr. Grandmaster
MT Mentor
Joined
Aug 21, 2003
Messages
14,960
Reaction score
312
Location
Chattanooga, TN
How many people here find their jobs boring, raise your hands....


(hears water drop)


c'mon now.... aww c'mon some of you MUST find your job boring ...

(drip)

no-one? Hmm... interesting.
 
OP
Bob Hubbard

Bob Hubbard

Retired
MT Mentor
Founding Member
Lifetime Supporting Member
MTS Alumni
Joined
Aug 4, 2001
Messages
47,245
Reaction score
771
Location
Land of the Free
Somedays, it's so boring I put on old Scooby Doo videos just to break up the day.
 

Tez3

Sr. Grandmaster
Supporting Member
Joined
Oct 13, 2006
Messages
27,608
Reaction score
4,901
Location
England
We pray for boring, we love boring, boring is good!! Our ideal day is being bored for the whole 12 hour shift lol!
 

AceHBK

Master Black Belt
Joined
Jan 29, 2006
Messages
1,325
Reaction score
14
Location
Arizona
A mate of mine at work was telling me about a similar thing happening to a mate of his. Let's say she works for a very, very large IT firm that deals primarily with business machines... She'd had a bad day at this company, and posted as such on her FB profile page. A "friend" of hers at this company printed off said page, and showed it to this girls manager. So, yes, be careful, but Jeez-Louise, watch yer back also!

H

Good point. Need to remove 2 co workers I have as friends on my page
 

Drac

Sr. Grandmaster
MTS Alumni
Joined
Jul 16, 2004
Messages
22,738
Reaction score
143
Location
Ohio
There have been a few cases where folks have been denied promotions based on what was on the MySpace or Facebook account..Ya gotta be real careful what you post where...
 

Gordon Nore

Senior Master
Joined
May 26, 2007
Messages
2,118
Reaction score
77
Location
Toronto
I hate my job.
I hate my job.
I hate my job.

(Still here.)

I love my union.

Seriously, as a teacher I've seen very unfortunate outcomes in my school board from young people using social networking sites like facebook to publicly malign individuals. There have been a couple of widely publicized cases in this region where students received disciplinary action consistent with school board policy and the province's Education Act. Those are direct attacks on people, mind you. I would expect far more serious repercussions if adults in my workplace were caught doing this.

"My job is boring" is merely an opinion which doesn't do any actual harm to anyone. The kid's, what, seventeen? Teenagers are bored by all kinds of things. If I had a fit every time a teenage student told me s/he was bored, I'd be in padded room. I'd be tickled if the graffiti I saw at school read, "I'm bored."

If this actually bothered the young lady's supervisor, they could sit down and talk about it for cryin' out loud. My old Grandpa was a foreman for the CNR. He told me once, "Any fool can fire a man. It's the smart fella who gets a day's work out of him."

Based on what's been reported here, sacking her looks like a ploy to keep people in line.
 

shesulsa

Columbia Martial Arts Academy
MT Mentor
Lifetime Supporting Member
MTS Alumni
Joined
May 27, 2004
Messages
27,182
Reaction score
486
Location
Not BC, Not DC
Hm. I have to wonder who's the bigger baby ... the girl for posting that she was bored at her job (likely just a status comment ... I could type "shesulsa is going pee") or the company for stooping to fire someone who had a boring moment or who wanted to spice up their page for a bit.

Take a look at my avatar and user title. I haven't had my cho dan revoked yet. :idunno:
 

Andy Moynihan

Senior Master
MT Mentor
Joined
Jun 9, 2006
Messages
3,692
Reaction score
176
Location
People's Banana Republic of Massachusettstan, Disu
Hm. I have to wonder who's the bigger baby ... the girl for posting that she was bored at her job (likely just a status comment ... I could type "shesulsa is going pee") or the company for stooping to fire someone who had a boring moment or who wanted to spice up their page for a bit.

Take a look at my avatar and user title. I haven't had my cho dan revoked yet. :idunno:


Well of course not. That's an MRE spork. Anyone who can keep down an MRE and make it exit( For we all know MRE stands for Meals Refusing to Exit) is one not to be trifled with.
 

Latest Discussions

Top