4 Social Media Mistakes That Can Get You Fired

Have you ever posted something on a social media platform and woke up the next day regretting it? Most posts are easy to delete and forget. Some, however, can have lasting consequences.

One wrong move with your online behavior could have your post trending among hundreds of strangers and reach your employer. Here are four ways a seemingly harmless social media post on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok could get you fired.

Making offensive comments

Negative comments or photos about race, sex, age, disability, or national origin should always remain off-limits.

Publicly expressing an opinion that is demeaning toward another group will land you a trip to the HR office. Employers must prevent discrimination and hostility to maintain a diverse, respectful workplace.

Not aligning your social media posts with these values gives your employer reason to believe you would not contribute to a non-discriminatory workplace.

Complaining about your job, boss, or coworkers

Not all complaints can get you fired—valid complaints about unfair or hazardous working conditions are protected but general defamatory comments are not. So, while you can’t get fired for saying “This is an unsafe working environment,” you can get fired for saying “I hate my job.”

If you have a complaint about the safety conditions of the workplace, it’s best to take this up with someone who can actually do something about it like your manager or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), not Facebook.

If your gripe is about annoying colleagues—be careful. It’s unprofessional and you never know who will be happy to pass on the sentiment.

Sharing confidential information

Think twice before revealing business information that has not been made public. This could include details of your own promotion, a company merger or reorganization, or the release of a new product.  When in doubt, don’t let it out! Check with your boss to give you the go-ahead before posting to social media.

Behaving unprofessionally

No matter what industry you’re in, there are types of posts that are particularly taboo for your profession. As a teacher, you wouldn’t want to be posting excessive party photos or making status updates that put down the kids you teach. If you have a job in the food and beverage industry, you shouldn’t post about or perform any act that is unhygienic.

Social media makes it easy to share personal moments, but some posts can harm your professional reputation. Keeping thoughts to yourself and keeping your personal activities offline is the best way to go.