Fired over Facebook? It happens more than you think

Facebook is used to stay connected with new and old friends through wall posts, pictures, and instant chat. However, what they don’t tell you when you sign-up is that this all too personal social networking site can get you canned in the click of a mouse.

Users of Facebook can attest that Facebook is a necessary evil. People just simply can’t get enough of all the website has to offer. On Facebook, the sky is the limit, and there is nothing stopping you from posting that profane status, or that not-so appropriate picture. Think twice before you update your page because people are getting fired for their Facebook activity.

New England Patriots cheerleader Caitlin Davis was fired after being tagged in inappropriate pictures. The Patriots were disgusted by the distasteful behavior displayed by Davis, and they gave her the boot.

Another user was fired after she called in sick for work but was later caught surfing the web. I think it’s safe to bet that she wishes she would have blocked her Facebook chat for the day—no virtual conversation is worth getting canned for.

This last case of Facebook firing is a bit careless. If you plan on bashing your job, co-workers, customers, or boss you should probably make sure that you aren’t friends with any of them. A woman was fired after posting a very unfriendly status about her boss—the only problem was that she and him were Facebook friends, oops. Although I don’t recommend posting anything about work on your social-networking page, if you do, you might want to make sure it’s a little more HR friendly.

It is not just obvious things, like the three situations above, that get people fired. Companies are turned off by people who are overly opinionated with their posts, by people who cannot write well, and by the things people are interested in. You might think your Facebook page is nothing to be ashamed of, but you might want to think again. If you have any information on your page that you would be embarrassed to say, or show in a corporate meeting, than you might want to consider taking it off the web.