U.K. Tweets Can Appear in the Press
The Story
Sarah Baskerville, a U.K. Department of Transport government worker, tweeted about being hungover at work (among other issues). Although intended only for her 700 followers, newspapers published the story. One newspaper published Baskerville's tweets under the headline, "Oh please stop this twit from tweeting, someone." Baskerville claimed invasion of privacy, but the Press Complaints Commission ruled it was not. According to the Commission, tweets are public because followers can retweet them to anyone.
Discussion Starters
- What is your reaction to the Commission's decision? Do you agree with the decision? Why or why not?
- What have you tweeted or posted on Facebook that may embarrass you? If anything you post could be considered public -- and publishable in newspapers -- would you adjust your online content?
Assignment Ideas
- In pairs, search online for comments by or about the other student. If you were a recruiter, what content could be considered questionable? Give the other student feedback about what he or she might consider changing.
- On Twitter, search for tweets that may embarrass people. Find a tweet that you know the writer would not like to appear in the newspaper. Write an email to the tweeter to explain why he or she may want to remove the tweet.
High Youth Unemployment in the U.K.
The Story
Youth unemployment jumped to over 900,000, the highest since 1992. One out of 5 people aged 16-24 is now out of work.
Discussion Starters
- What advice would you give young people in the U.K. in seeking employment? Focus, particularly, on how people can differentiate themselves in a competitive market. And what can unemployed young people do while not working (in addition to looking for a job, of course)?
- Have you ever looked for a job or internship and had difficulty finding one? In the end, what did you learn from the experience? If you ultimately did get a job, how did it finally happen?
Assignment Ideas
- Research differences between U.S. and European employment communications. For example, what are the differences between a resume and a C.V. for business jobs? What other differences would you expect, knowing about each culture? Assume that a friend or colleague is exploring job opportunities in Europe. Write an email to him or her summarizing your findings.
- Imagine that you're applying for a job in the U.K. If you have a U.S.-centric resume, adapt it for a European company.
New UBS Dress Code: No Earrings for Men
The Story
In a pilot for five UBS locations, the company created a 43-page dress code. No black nail polish or too-short skirts if UBS employees want to get ahead. The code advises employees how to "enhance your personality" and "increase your popularity" by wearing "discreet lipstick" and getting a "stylish haircut." The new code may be part of UBS's attempts to rebuild their image, like the commercial, "We Will Not Rest."
Discussion Starters
- What was the dress code for previous places where you have worked? Did you think the attire was appropriate, too formal, or too informal for the business, considering the industry and company culture?
- Could such a dress code, which promotes conservative banking attire rebuild USB's image? Does USB's recent commercial, "We Will Not Rest."
Assignment Ideas
- Working in small groups, draft a list of instructions that you believe should be included in a company's dress code. Of course, every company is different, so choose a company that all of you know. After you have drafted a list, work on an organizational structure: how can you group topics clearly and logically?
- Write an email to employees to introduce your new dress code. What will be important for employees to know about the code (which you can attach)? How can you present the code in the best possible light, so that employees understand the rationale and buy into the change.
The List Is in: Best Companies to Work For
The Story
A newly published list of Best Companies to Work For includes a newcomer that now holds the number 1 spot: Facebook. This report is published the same week that Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's founder and CEO, is named Time Magazine's Person of the Year. Other winners on the best company list include Southwest, Bain & Company, General Mills, Edelman, Boston Consulting Group, and SAS. The list is generated by Glassdoor.com's Employees' Choice Awards. Did your favorite company make the list?
Discussion Starters
- What is your favorite company to work for? What criteria are you using to determine this?
- To what extent are you influenced by lists of top employers? Why or why not? Does this list, generated by employee feedback, have more credibility, in your opinion?
Assignment Ideas
- Choose one of the companies on the list and write an introductory paragraph for a cover letter. How will you reference the company's spot on the best company list in a sincere way?
- Explore comments about your favorite company on Glassdoor.com. Summarize what you have learned in a memo to your instructor. Try to balance positive and negative information about the company, knowing that the feedback is all from employees and may not represent an objective view. Which comments do you find most believable and why? Which are least believable and why?
Can Facebook Get You Fired?
The Story
Angry at her boss, an ambulance company employee posted negative comments about him on her Facebook page. Three weeks later, the employee was fired. The company claims that the employee was terminated for other reasons, but the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is suing for illegal discharge. The claim is based on the National Labor Relations Act, which protects employees' "concerted activity." The claim also challenges the company's social media policy, which tries to curb employees' online comments about their companies. This case will be an interesting one to watch!
Update (2/8/11): The case was settled, which doesn't change laws around Facebook posts but does put companies on notice.
Discussion Starters
- The employee, Dawnmarie Souza, used strong language about her supervisor. Legal or not, what's your view on whether this was a good idea?
- What situations have you encountered where employees' (or students') Facebook post have gotten them in trouble?
Assignment Ideas
- First, consider NLRB's news release about the case. In the third paragraph, the NLRB states that "the company's blogging and internet posting policy contained unlawful provisions, including one that prohibited employees from making disparaging remarks when discussing the company or supervisors and another that prohibited employees from depicting the company in any way over the internet without company permission." Next, review a company's social media policy. (You'll find many here.) Does the company's policy include language that restricts an employee's online activity? If so, write an email to the company's VP, social media, explaining the situation and warning him or her that the policy is in question (although nothing has been decided yet).
- Research other cases where employees have been terminated for online comments. Choose one situation to discuss with the rest of the class. Do you think the termination was appropriate in this case? Why or why not?
- Look at your Facebook page. Are there any posts that could be called into question by a past or potential future employer?
Student Fabricates Resume
The Story
A student's "life of deception," as reported by the The New York Times, finally caught up with him this week. Adam Wheeler was accepted into Harvard as a transfer student, but the admissions staff missed a few issues: a suspension from Bowdoin, fake reference letters, and plagiarism. The graphics below summarize Wheeler's falsifications on his resume and his claims when applying to three schools.
Click on the graphic to view the PDF. Resume graphic source.
Discussion Starters
- What would lead a student to this level of fakery, which landed him with criminal charges including larceny for accepting $50,000 in financial aid and prizes?
- What is Harvard's responsibility in this situation? What could the admissions staff have done differently?
- How does this situation relate to employment applications? How does this situation compare to that of Jeffrey Chiang, who, a year earlier, lied during his job search and was black listed from many Wall Street firms?
Assignment Ideas
- Take a fresh, objective look at your own resume. During an interview with a sharp recruiter, will you be able to explain and justify all of your claims? Do you need to tone down any examples? Or, on the other hand, are you representing your "best self," as discussed in Chapter 12? Are you unnecessarily downplaying parts of your experience?
- With a partner, practice a couple of interview questions around the items that may be a stretch on your resume. For example, if you included membership in an organization, have your partner ask you about it to see whether you can say enough during an interview to support what you wrote on your resume.