Who owns your opinion?

[panther10758]

What is the name of your state? AZ and VA

Who owns your opinion?


Do you lose your right to voice your opinion on message boards, if it differs from your employer? Are you misrepresenting your company when you post these opposing views? Recently two persons were talked to (one fired another still pending) for doing nothing more than posting a view on a topic! One was told he misrepresented his company yet he never said who he worked for? Heres an example but not actual incident

Person "A" states on message board that catching shoplifters cost more than saves. Person "A" never states who he works for nor is it on his profile

Company "B" views the catching of shoplifters as productive and is person "A"s employer

Company "B" sees or is told of person "A" post and reads it. Comapny "B" is also aware of or is made aware of Person "A" real name address etc

Company "B" calls person "A" in to talk to higher ups and is accused of misrepresenting company "B"

Now who owns your opinion? If Company "B" is successful in termination, suspension or even just write up arent they saying they own your opinion? Does this suggest that any of us can be fired for our opinions!? If your posting your own personal view and not stating your company or the companies view as wrong are you misrepresenting them? This is what one or both of these persons is facing. Are we losing our right to post opinions on message boards? Are our freedom of speech rights being violated? So does your company own your opinion? Would you risk termination and possible ruined career by posting your opinion on any message board?

If you need further info thats fine but I am limited on what I can say since one of these two persons still dealing with situation his higher ups have made it clear its not over yet.

 

[justalayman]

you own your own opinion but if your employer doesn;t like your opinion, they can fire you.


I'm sure they will let you take your opinion with you when you leave.

you need to read the first amendment. You can answer your own question of freedom of speach very easily once you do.

 

[panther10758]

Ok yes however then this means companies (if they choose) can troll boards (like this one) find employees and terminate them for their views. Yes I am aware of "at will". this thread was meant o generate discussion that I can pass on to one of the two in hopes it may help them

 

[justalayman]

Sorry, I won't be of any help to assist them. Whether I believe it to be right or wrong is irrelevent. The fact is it is legal.

 

[panther10758]

I am not argueing its most likely legal but it opens a can of worms about posting on message boards as well!

 

[justalayman]

why would this be any more problematic than an employer performing a background check or inquiring of prior employers.

The computer age is here and your life may be a very public matter. If the employer does not like the things they see, what is wrong with discharging the employee. If a person is disgruntled (btw; have you ever seen anybody that was "gruntled"?) then maybe they shouldn;t be at that particular employer. Maybe this gives the employer opportunity to counsel the employee and discuss pervieved problems.

your original post:

Who owns your opinion?

we "own" our opinions

Do you lose your right to voice your opinion on message boards, if it differs from your employer?

No, you don't. However expressing your rights can have unintended and undesirable side effects.

Are you misrepresenting your company when you post these opposing views?

it depends upon what you mean as misrepresenting. If you are not authorized to represent your employer, (whichis more than likely the case) then you are not misrepresenting them because you are not representing them to begin with. If you mean in terms of distributing untrue information; that is up to the poster whether it is true or not. You could be lying about the employer but unless it is a great injustice, there will probably be no repercussions other than termination.

now who owns your opinion

already answered

If Company "B" is successful in termination, suspension or even just write up arent they saying they own your opinion?

No, they are saying they do not like what you are doing.

Does this suggest that any of us can be fired for our opinions!?

suggest hell!! that is a given. Go tell your boss he is an ******* and see how long your employment lasts

If your posting your own personal view and not stating your company or the companies view as wrong are you misrepresenting them?

you could be showing them in a bad light which the componay denies. The company may feel you are misrepresenting them but in all actuality you may not be and it really doesn;t make any difference for this situation

Are we losing our right to post opinions on message boards?

Nope, merely risking the employment if the employer does not like the posting.

Are our freedom of speech rights being violated?

Who told you the 1st amendment is applicable in a situation like this. They were wrong. The 1st is directed to government actions, not private enterprise.

So does your company own your opinion?

still, no

Would you risk termination and possible ruined career by posting your opinion on any message board?

Do you mean would I actually do such a thing? It depends on what it is and how stringly I felt about things.

If you mean can posting risk your employment and career? Most definately.

 

[Gadfly]

The computer has nothing to do with it.

Message boards are public forums. So is standing up in town square and stating your opinion. That does NOT mean others have to accept it. And if I am paying you and you don't like the way I run my business, don't expect me to keep you around.

Further, your employer has as much right to "troll message boards" as he has to wander the streets while you are stating your opinion.

You have the right to your opinion and to express it. I have the right to hear it and disagree.

 

[panther10758]

Wrong Road

This did not go down the road I had intended and perhaps I didnt word things well. I am well aware of "at will" I posted to others about it many times. Now I do realize the "at will" issues in firing. Heres my question. Does a website (like this one but not this one) have the right to contact my employer over my posts? Even if they (the employer) are not named nor am I violated OPSEC in any way! Can said website not only contact my employer over my posts but release my name address phone etc to employer knowing that a firing is possible!? thats what happened to my friends. Now a conflict occured between one and website a week or so before and its "believed" this was act of vengence as one friend got a boycott of site together, which by the way was mentioned when higher ups talked to one friend! So can a website contact an employer and not only show post but give employer personl info on poster to prove to employer who it is?

 

[justalayman]

unless there is some sort of agreement that personal info would be kept confidential,

yes, they can.

It would be the same as you telling me something and me calling your employer and telling them what you said.

 

[Gadfly]

Again, if you don't want others to know what you are thinking, keep your comments to yourself and for darn sure don't post them where everyone in the world can see them. There's a reason why it is called the WORLD wide web!

 

[panther10758]

Ok so the website privacy statements means nothing if you piss off a admin or mod?

 

[justalayman]

So what does the privacy statement state?

-

 

[panther10758]

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[Gadfly]

XXX.com welcomes your comments regarding this Statement of Privacy. If you believe that XXX.com has not adhered to this Statement, please contact LPInformation.com at XXX@XXX We will use commercially reasonable efforts to promptly determine and remedy the problem.

asked and answered.

 

[panther10758]

Ok ask XXX if they violated theri own privacy policy and ask them to punish themselves!