Eight Instances Where Social Media Posts Led to Employee Termination

A decade ago, social media was just becoming commonplace. Today? Just about everyone has some form of social media. While websites such as Facebook and Instagram can be useful for keeping up with friends and family, users should be mindful of what they post. One wrong comment could have negative career ramifications.

The Relationship Between Social Media and Professional Life

Not only is social media excellent for sharing the details of your life with friends and family, but it’s also a useful tool in the modern workplace. On one hand, social media platforms offer opportunities for users to build their professional brand and connect with peers. On the other hand, the way someone portrays themselves online can have significant implications for their professional life and workplace culture.

An employee’s online persona can impact their professional relationships, credibility, and reputation within their workplace. For instance, sharing insightful industry-related content, engaging in meaningful discussions, or showcasing achievements can enhance one’s professional image. In fact, this sort of behavior is appropriate and even praised on professional social media platforms like LinkedIn. 

Conversely, sharing content that is inappropriate, misaligned with the values of their organization, threatening, or violent can lead to reputational damage. It’s important for professionals to be mindful of their online presence, as it can be a reflection of their work ethic, values, and overall professionalism. In other words, the way someone portrays themselves online, can shed a negative light on the people or organizations they’re associated with.

Ideally, this light would be a positive one. A respectful web presence can foster a sense of trust and camaraderie among colleagues, reinforcing a supportive and collaborative work environment, for instance. But, this isn’t always the reality. If employees frequently post content that’s violent, threatening, or sexually harassing coworkers, it can create tension, discord, and undermine team dynamics and morale. 

In more benign instances, employers may want to give the employee a warning or instruct them to remove their post, especially if it’s in violation of social media policies or overarching company values. This makes the employee aware of the inappropriate behavior as well as the consequences of their actions. It also will hopefully deter those behaviors from happening again in the future and help establish a culture of respect and accountability in the workplace, one that doesn’t take misconduct lightly. In extreme cases, such as posts that display illegal actions or intentions, the business might consider terminating the employee. 

The point is, what’s posted on social media can have lasting impacts. In some cases, the impact is positive, such as congratulating coworkers on their achievements, or highlighting achievements that others might not have been aware of. Alternatively, users might behave without thinking about consequences. In extreme cases when employees are found to have posted threatening, offensive, or obscene material, it might just cost them their jobs. 

Red Flags in Social Media Posts that Could Mean Employee Termination

So, what kinds of posts are inappropriate for work? What kinds of posts should companies fire employees over? Every business has a unique set of values, but there are a few common components to social media posts that might lead to employee termination, especially when it involves gross misconduct. Let’s take a look at just a few of the red flags that could cost someone their job.

• Illegal Behaviors: Posts that depict or glorify illegal activities, such as fraud and theft, can be major red flags. These behaviors not only violate the law but also reflect poorly on the individual's character and judgment. For employers, employees who engage in illegal activities can damage the company’s reputation, lead to legal consequences, and erode trust within the workplace.
• Promoting Acts of Violence: Social media posts that endorse or encourage violence against individuals or groups of people are deeply troubling. These posts suggest aggressive behaviors and a disregard for the safety and well-being of others. And, if these actions are promoted online, then there is a significant risk to the workplace as employees who post about violence could potentially create a hostile environment.
• Discriminatory Language: Using discriminatory language or slurs on social media against any group based on race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or other protected characteristics is unacceptable. Such language not only violates anti-discrimination laws and company policies but also fosters a toxic work environment.
• Manifestos: Manifestos or long-form posts that outline extremist beliefs, ideologies, or plans for violence can be a red flag for potential radicalization or dangerous behavior. These posts often contain inflammatory rhetoric, conspiracy theories, or calls to action that are harmful or divisive.
• Harassment and Bullying: Engaging in or promoting harassment and cyberbullying on social media is another serious issue. Whether targeted at colleagues, customers, or others, this behavior is harmful and violates workplace policies that protect individuals from abuse and intimidation.

These red flags are not just problematic for the individual but can also have far-reaching consequences for the larger business. Employers must enforce clear policies regarding social media conduct and take necessary steps to address violations to maintain a safe, respectful, and lawful work environment.

8 Examples of Employee Terminations as a Result of Social Media Posts

As the saying goes, “the internet is forever.” Despite posting something online for only close family and friends to see, comments made publicly can have damaging repercussions, especially when they promote illegal activities, threats of violence, or intolerance and hate speech. Here are some examples of how social media posts lead to employee termination. 

1. In Vienna, the venue that was set to host Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour cancelled all three shows after a 19 year old employee was found to have been plotting a large scale terrorism attack at the venue. The suspect’s social media revealed a post with an oath of allegiance to the current leader of ISIS. 
2. In October of last year, Citigroup fired one employee for posting antisemitic remarks suggesting support of the Holocaust to their social media profile. Following this termination, a Citigroup spokesperson stated, “We terminated the employment of the person who posted the revolting antisemitic comment on social media. We condemn antisemitism and all hate speech and do not tolerate it in our bank” in an email.
3. In Virginia, a sheriff's deputy was terminated for making  “disturbing comments” on a conservative social media platform where he posted that Chief Justice Roberts’ life ”needs to be shortened.” This same individual was also found to have made threatening remarks on social media, as well. In opposition to a bill that would allow children to be vaccinated without parental content, the deputy shared on social media that he “will kill anyone that touches my children without my consent… not a threat, but a promise.”  The deputy was let go from his position at the Prince William County sheriff’s office.
4. After a failed assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump, many users took to social media to express their disappointment in the event. These posts promote violent behavior and employers were quick to terminate employees who made comments such as “the next shooter isn’t going to miss.” 
5. A pilot from Air Canada had posted a photo of himself in uniform and holding a sign that referenced Hitler while attending a demonstration in Montreal. The Instagram post included messaging that read “Keep the world clean.” Following this post, Air Canada removed the pilot from his service and released a statement saying “We firmly denounce violence in all forms.”
6. Below Deck Mediterranean removed Peter Hunziker from the show in 2020 after his previous racist and misogynistic posts had been resurfaced. One publication later reported that “Peter was problematic, and the racist post was just the nail in the coffin.” Once the post had been resurfaced, it started to gain some negative traction and Bravo was quick to remove Hunziker from the show. 
7. It is not just Americans who have gotten into trouble because of their social media posts. In 2015, a Russian paramedic posted photos of herself with unconscious, injured, and dying patients while she was working. In one Instagram photo, she was even seen flipping off the camera with an injured patient visible in the background. The paramedic was eventually fired after the posts were brought to the attention of her employer.
8. Also in 2015, a Taco Bell employee photographed himself urinating on an order of nachos. He posted the photo to his Twitter account and asked his followers to guess where he worked. His argument that "there are no laws saying what you can and cannot piss upon" failed and he was dismissed from the company.

Best Practices for Employers to Identify Social Media Misconduct

While social media plays a role in the development of a personal brand, it’s still important to be mindful of the ways that this online content affects larger organizations. With that said, employers have a responsibility to keep an eye out for online conduct that can hurt their reputation. Here are some ways to accomplish this:

Identify what actions are considered misconduct

Every business has a set of company values, the beliefs and ideas that act as a foundation for every action taken. Sometimes, unfortunately, employees act against these values, both at work and online. To identify these actions of misconduct among employees, companies need to first establish what actions are considered misconduct.

For instance, this list might include:

• Violence 
• Threats 
• Sexual misconduct 
• Cyberbullying and harassing other people
• Violating company confidentiality
• Discriminatory and hurtful behavior
• Theft from the company
• Vandalizing company property

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The list goes on. To avoid ambiguities in what behaviors can lead to termination, businesses should clearly outline such actions and ensure that employees are made aware of them. This can be accomplished by updating the company code of conduct according to their definitions of general and gross misconduct.

Identify consequences of social media misconduct

At some point, and as much as we try to prevent it from occurring, someone is going to commit  misconduct. In the employee handbook, companies should clearly outline the consequences after an employee violates company guidelines. In instances where employees are found to have engaged in social media misconduct, there should be steps in place to address the issue.

A general guideline to follow might look like:

1. Ask the employee to remove the post: Once a post is identified as social media misconduct, employers or HR teams should advise the employee to stop their behavior or refrain from letting it happen again.
2. Warning: After the post is removed from their social media profile, the employee must be made aware that the organization may take disciplinary action as a result of their actions online. 
3. Termination: If the previous steps aren’t adequate or don’t stop the employee from engaging in online misconduct, they may be removed from their position. 

Use candidate screening technology to ensure consistency

Treating all employees the same within the guidelines of an organization is crucial for maintaining fairness, consistency, and trust. Beyond this, though, consistency in how organizations enforce company values and guidelines ensures all employees meet high ethical standards. 

Ultimately, employee quality is essential for business success. And, setting clear expectations of employee behaviors can help ensure everyone is performing in a manner that reflects positively on the company. This holds true for social media policies. 

Even before employees walk through the door, businesses might uncover social media misconduct through the screening process. Candidate screening technology that analyzes social media content for misconduct can prevent the wrong people from being hired, especially those whose online presence might contribute to a hostile or toxic work environment.

Avoiding Social Media Misconduct with Candidate Screening

There are some instances where employees are found to have violated company policies in posts that go viral. But, that only accounts for a small percentage of what’s shared online. While what’s posted during an employee’s time with a company can be damaging, what they say beforehand can have negative consequences as well.
Remember earlier when we mentioned how the internet is forever? What we mean is that what’s shared online never truly goes away. That’s why it’s important for businesses to screen candidates for social media misconduct before they’re hired. This proactive measure can prevent people who engage in bad behaviors from joining a team, ultimately preserving workplace culture and ensuring a strong quality of hire is maintained. 

Fama’s social media screening solutions do just that. By screening publicly available online profiles, our technology can identify signals of misconduct to make sure companies avoid hires that will lead to misconduct issues down the road. To learn more about our candidate screening solutions, reach out to the team today to book a demo!