I don’t know if it’s the cold, long winter we’ve been having, or just the increasing popularity of social media, but this week has been chock-full of internet-induced workplace drama. Take for example, the Applebee’s server who was fired after posting a picture of customer’s receipt on Reddit. The customer happened to be a pastor whose large dining party had incurred an automatic gratuity charge. He crossed out the added gratuity and wrote “I give God 10%, why do you get 18?” After the waitress shared a picture of the receipt — signature and all — with the online community, the pastor demanded that everyone involved, including the managers, be terminated.
Other online activities that caused employees trouble this week include: a Facebook rant about a chronically-late patient, a Facebook-posted screen shot of a 911 caller’s confidential information, and a negative online review that turned into an unsuccessful defamation suit.
On the legislative front, three House of Representatives members have reintroduced the Social Networking Online Privacy Act. Among other things, this bill seeks to create a nationwide ban on employers requests for their employees’ social media user information. The original version of this bill, introduced last May, died out at the end of 2012, so stay tuned to see if this one fares any better.
Technology and the Workplace
Applebee’s Fires Waitress for Exposing Pastor’s “Give God 10%” No-Tip Receipt (The Raw Story) (The Inquistr)
Calling Doc “A Real Tool” Isn’t Defamatory, MN Supreme Court Rules (ABA Journal) (Star Tribune)
Firing of Worker Who Posted 911 Call Info on Facebook Ok’d (Law 360)
Doc in Hot Water After Posting Comment About Patient on Facebook (Huffington Post)
SNOPA Legislation Would Make it Illegal for Employers to Ask for Passwords (ABC)
Technology and the Law
Bill Targets Cyberbullies: Opponents Claim Law Violates Students’ Free Speech Rights (Journal and Courier) (ABA Journal)
Senators Aim to Extend Ban on Internet Access Tax (CNET)
“You Have the Right to Blog,” Says Judge (WSJ)
DOJ Memo Reveals Legal Case for Drone Strikes on Americans (NBC)
Protecting Your Facebook Profile After You Die (CBS)
There’s an App for That
Your Lost Bags Sent a Text, Come Get Them (NY Times)
Facebook May Launch Location-Tracking in March (CBS)
Spanish App Chad2Win Pays You to Text (Huffington Post)
9 Apps Every Baby Boomer Should Know (Mashable)
New TSheets Time Tracker App Launches for QuickBooks (NBC)