
Getting your player ready...
Dear J.T. & DALE: Do employers really monitor social media accounts for employee behavior? – Derek
J.T.: Yes. And it’s becoming more common. For instance, there’s one airline I know of that monitors pilots’ online activity. They are looking for pictures and comments that might be an indicator of substance abuse. They would rather intervene before they have a problem with a pilot under the influence on the job. Seems like a good idea, doesn’t it? DALE: Well, OK, in that case, where you’re protecting the public, indeed it does. And it’s an even better idea if the corporate response to questionable behavior is to offer help rather than an empty box to clean out your desk into. But none of us can feel good about the systematic elimination of privacy. J.T.: Sticking to career implications, I’d caution anyone who has a job where they could be terminated for code-of-conduct violations to seriously consider what they’re posting online. As I always remind my clients, an employee is a business of one, providing a service to employers. A company wants the best possible partners, and your public persona is something they’ll useto figure that. DALE: Furthermore, it isn’t just what YOU post online. If you are in a photo taken by a friend, it probably will be posted and you’ll be “tagged,” meaning you’ll be named. You know how celebrities often gripe about paparazzi? Well, we all have friends with camera phones, and so we all have our own version of paparazzi pals, which suggests a new term: palarazzi. This leaves us with just one conclusion: Assume that everyone knows. It’s that kind of world. Dear J.T. & Dale: I’ve noticed an alarming trend among employers. I am a working professional in my 40s, with many years of work experience, and I’ve never been written up for substandard work. Still, I’ve had three different employers at three different companies completely abuse their authority and be verbally abusive toward me. It has affected me so much that I can’t trust employers. Any suggestions or feedback? – Amy J.T.: I’m not sure that there is a trend here – there always have been difficult bosses, and it’s hard to quantify. DALE: However, if someone did devise a measure, I suspect it would reveal a steady increase. The squeezing of middle management has caused a dramatic rise in workload, and in pressure on the typical supervisor. Isn’t it inevitable that there is a direct correlation with aggressive behavior? Plus, the celebration of obnoxious executives, such as Steve Jobs, may be giving permission to managers to unleash their dark sides.



