Best Strategy for Disciplinary Hearing - Inappropriate Use of Social Media

fiisch

Argh I am seething!! My father is quite active on social media, and I have warned him time and time again about posting about work on social media (with the possible exception of LinkedIn). Certainly, any posts should categorically not in any way criticise the employer.... He is old enough to know better, but there we are...


The Story
One of his colleagues took it upon themselves to post about their employer's conduct in regards to paying another member of staff while they were being investigated for a particularly heinous crime. My dad commented, casting scorn on the crime in question and saying it was disgraceful.


The poster's profile was public, so inevitably all comments were made public. The poster has subsequently been dismissed, and then taken to social media to protest against his now former employer!!!


My dad's track record is not great - a couple of other misdemeanours of a similar nature (not social media, but casting the company in a poor light) are on his record, but last one is about 10 years ago.


Unfortunately, my dad's department has just been offered voluntarily redundancy - he declined, but I understand they are oversubscribed. Losing his job - for which he's had for half his working life - would destroy my parent's world, and likely adversely affect his final salary pension.


The Question
How should he approach the disciplinary hearing to minimise the punishment?


I am well aware there is little/no defence of his actions - social media is a public forum, and I've always advised caution when disclosing anything about personal life, but especially work. My dad wants to defend the post, and claim he had no knowledge it would be made public, but I'm not convinced by that as a line of defence.


I am suggesting going in and holding his hands up, be extremely deferential and apologise unreservedly. Any other tips/suggestions to help him avoid the chop?

Takeaway_Addict

fiisch wrote: »

Argh I am seething!! My father is quite active on social media, and I have warned him time and time again about posting about work on social media (with the possible exception of LinkedIn). Certainly, any posts should categorically not in any way criticise the employer.... He is old enough to know better, but there we are...


The Story
One of his colleagues took it upon themselves to post about their employer's conduct in regards to paying another member of staff while they were being investigated for a particularly heinous crime. My dad commented, casting scorn on the crime in question and saying it was disgraceful.


The poster's profile was public, so inevitably all comments were made public. The poster has subsequently been dismissed, and then taken to social media to protest against his now former employer!!!


My dad's track record is not great - a couple of other misdemeanours of a similar nature (not social media, but casting the company in a poor light) are on his record, but last one is about 10 years ago.


Unfortunately, my dad's department has just been offered voluntarily redundancy - he declined, but I understand they are oversubscribed. Losing his job - for which he's had for half his working life - would destroy my parent's world, and likely adversely affect his final salary pension.


The Question
How should he approach the disciplinary hearing to minimise the punishment?


I am well aware there is little/no defence of his actions - social media is a public forum, and I've always advised caution when disclosing anything about personal life, but especially work. My dad wants to defend the post, and claim he had no knowledge it would be made public, but I'm not convinced by that as a line of defence.


I am suggesting going in and holding his hands up, be extremely deferential and apologise unreservedly. Any other tips/suggestions to help him avoid the chop?

Pray...sorry to say but if they're looking to make cuts then he has just given them an easy target with no pay off.

Others may advise better strategies but yours is what I would do.

Undervalued

fiisch wrote: »

Argh I am seething!! My father is quite active on social media, and I have warned him time and time again about posting about work on social media (with the possible exception of LinkedIn). Certainly, any posts should categorically not in any way criticise the employer.... He is old enough to know better, but there we are...


The Story
One of his colleagues took it upon themselves to post about their employer's conduct in regards to paying another member of staff while they were being investigated for a particularly heinous crime. My dad commented, casting scorn on the crime in question and saying it was disgraceful.


The poster's profile was public, so inevitably all comments were made public. The poster has subsequently been dismissed, and then taken to social media to protest against his now former employer!!!


My dad's track record is not great - a couple of other misdemeanours of a similar nature (not social media, but casting the company in a poor light) are on his record, but last one is about 10 years ago.


Unfortunately, my dad's department has just been offered voluntarily redundancy - he declined, but I understand they are oversubscribed. Losing his job - for which he's had for half his working life - would destroy my parent's world, and likely adversely affect his final salary pension.


The Question
How should he approach the disciplinary hearing to minimise the punishment?


I am well aware there is little/no defence of his actions - social media is a public forum, and I've always advised caution when disclosing anything about personal life, but especially work. My dad wants to defend the post, and claim he had no knowledge it would be made public, but I'm not convinced by that as a line of defence.


I am suggesting going in and holding his hands up, be extremely deferential and apologise unreservedly. Any other tips/suggestions to help him avoid the chop?

You are absolutely correct, that is about all he can do plus promising not to do it again and hope for the best.

fiisch

Thank you. Very worrying... poor mum is climbing the walls. He has since deleted his profile, so hopefully that will help. I did wonder if saying he was drunk might in some way mitigate it(!), but I think honesty is best policy and hope for the best...

BorisThomson

My dad wants to defend the post, and claim he had no knowledge it would be made public, but I'm not convinced by that as a line of defence.

Is he claiming that he thought the only person that would see it was the author? Unless he's entirely new to the internet (and it sounds like they know he is not), that's not going to wash. Even if the post was only seen by people on the relevant friends lists, that is still public. It doesn't need to be viewable by the whole world in order for it to bring the company into disrepute.

It is also potentially bullying the person under investigation. Until you are found guilty you are presumed to be innocent. Hence, disparaging comments about the colleague could be seen as bullying.

BorisThomson

fiisch wrote: »

Thank you. Very worrying... poor mum is climbing the walls. He has since deleted his profile, so hopefully that will help. I did wonder if saying he was drunk might in some way mitigate it(!), but I think honesty is best policy and hope for the best...

Making up flimsy excuses would imply he is not taking the issue seriously. Stick to the facts only.

glentoran99

I don't understand what your dad has done? Did he criticise his employer or what has happened?

cmthephoenix

Firstly I'd like to say it's refreshing to see an OP that is honest and realistic.


Companies are about making money/reducing spend. Maybe your dad could hold his hands up and ask if there's anything more over and above his job that he could be doing to help the company.

Ronaldo_Mconaldo

Final salary pension? So public sector? It'll save us all a bit of money if he gets binned off. Should have just minded his own business.

TELLIT01

glentoran99 wrote: »

I don't understand what your dad has done? Did he criticise his employer or what has happened?

The OP is ambiguous, but I think it's a case of the father agreeing with a work colleague, that the action taken by the company to continue paying another member of staff was disgraceful.

Hermia

fiisch wrote: »

Thank you. Very worrying... poor mum is climbing the walls. He has since deleted his profile, so hopefully that will help. I did wonder if saying he was drunk might in some way mitigate it(!), but I think honesty is best policy and hope for the best...

I think he just needs to be honest and apologetic and hope for the best. I would not use alcohol as an excuse. It might make the boss wonder what else he might do when drunk (and wonder how often this happens). A teen in their first job might be given a second chance if they did something silly whilst drunk, but a middle-aged man who should know better...