Employers: Are you getting calls or emails asking you to fire someone for a social media post? Before you react, read this!

Recent violence and political discord have led to a marked increase in social media activity.

With that has come a new viral trend; let’s call it termination trolling. Influencers and activists have been amplifying social media posts calling for people to get fired based on their social commentary. One group claims to have located more than 50,000 posts that, in its view, should be grounds for employment termination.

A number of employers have publicly dismissed employees (either on their own or in response to public pressure) after becoming aware of their social media comments or posts. Given the volume of posts and efforts to get people fired based on their social media posts or other comments, employers should prepare to manage such demands.

What to Do if You Receive a Complaint?

We addressed this subject of managing controversial commentary in detail here. Employers who receive demands to fire someone on the basis of remarks or a social media post should pause and consider the following questions:

1. Who is complaining?
   • Is the complaint from a co-worker/colleague, a customer, an organization, or an unnamed anonymous source?
2. What is the nature of the complained-of content?
   • If it is offensive, how so?
   • Is it violent, graphic, or profane?
   • Is it counter to your (the employer’s) values?
   • Is it political?
3. What is the context of the offending content?...

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