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Fired, for my facebook profile

Interests:politics. fighting capitalism, misogyny and racism in my own special way, which basically involves me sitting on my ass and bitching about how unfair, patriarchal and misogynistic everyone apart from me is. history, philosophy, classical civilisation (I'm taking the AS and A2 in the space of TWO FUCKING MONTHS. wish me luck.) philosophy involves nothing more complicated than me sitting on my ass going "Nietzsche? he's a cunt." "Schopenhauer? He's a cunt." "Mill? He's a cunt." "Heidegger? He's a nazi cunt." history is me wondering why the holocaust was allowed to happen and getting very, very sad about it. getting very drunk on very little drink. liver damage is awesome. cigarettes, especially sobranie cocktails.. aah. rainbow coloured cancer. pointless arguments on the internet. singing loudly when noone can hear me, and only when noone can hear me.

don't do that. also don't be an alcoholic. alcohol as a cure for depression is dumb.
 
It says she's fighting capitalism, misogyny, and racism in her own special way. I misread it at first too though actually.
 
Interests:politics. fighting capitalism, misogyny and racism in my own special way, which basically involves me sitting on my ass and bitching about how unfair, patriarchal and misogynistic everyone apart from me is. history, philosophy, classical civilisation (I'm taking the AS and A2 in the space of TWO FUCKING MONTHS. wish me luck.) philosophy involves nothing more complicated than me sitting on my ass going "Nietzsche? he's a cunt." "Schopenhauer? He's a cunt." "Mill? He's a cunt." "Heidegger? He's a nazi cunt." history is me wondering why the holocaust was allowed to happen and getting very, very sad about it. getting very drunk on very little drink. liver damage is awesome. cigarettes, especially sobranie cocktails.. aah. rainbow coloured cancer. pointless arguments on the internet. singing loudly when noone can hear me, and only when noone can hear me.
It IS only friends. Something else I don't get about the whole thing.
There's always a possibility that one of your friends may have snitched on you, so watch out.

Not that any of this may help, but if I was an employer and I found those quoted in interests, I'd be peeved. Nowadays when personnel look to hire, they'll see if they can find a Facebook or similar page to see if you can fit in and get along rather than having such an attitude that rubs them the wrong way. First impressions do matter.
 
So, I was called into the office today, and it was pretty fucking obvious it was bad news when I was greeted by a man I'd not met before who introduced himself as head of HR - at that point it became kinda clear I wasn't getting out of that room with my employment contract intact.
I sat down, my manager - who had spoken to me quite normally that day, though not replied to my emails - sat in the corner, and I was told that my employment contract was being terminated with immediate effect.
So far, so standard being fired procedure. All good.
Then they told me why I was being fired - because apparently my Facebook showed me to be a racist and that brought disrepute to the company I worked for.
Most of the people that will read this will have access to my Facebook, but in case you don't here's my about me:
Interests:politics. fighting capitalism, misogyny and racism in my own special way [note, this is all one sentence], which basically involves me sitting on my ass and bitching about how unfair, patriarchal and misogynistic everyone apart from me is. history, philosophy, classical civilisation (I'm taking the AS and A2 in the space of TWO FUCKING MONTHS. wish me luck.) philosophy involves nothing more complicated than me sitting on my ass going "Nietzsche? he's a cunt." "Schopenhauer? He's a cunt." "Mill? He's a cunt." "Heidegger? He's a nazi cunt." history is me wondering why the holocaust was allowed to happen and getting very, very sad about it. getting very drunk on very little drink. liver damage is awesome. cigarettes, especially sobranie cocktails.. aah. rainbow coloured cancer. pointless arguments on the internet. singing loudly when noone can hear me, and only when noone can hear me.My groups are one or two about dead babies, about twenty 'Sarah Palin makes me want to.. <something awful>' and the rest are either feminist or anti-fascist groups. So where they've got this racism from I don't know - I have a Berlusconi quote on my quotes section but it's quite obvious that is a quote and I mean christ, put it in context people.

When I asked for clarification on the racist part I was told it was too vile to discuss and to be honest I was about to collapse in tears because well, my life's a fucking state at present - I'm just about to move out for the first time and I've got rent to pay, not least.
I was asked to pack up my stuff and leave on the spot - not even allowed to finish my shift - and told on asking that they would give me the week's pay and a reference for my next position.

Now, aside from the fact I'm a) upset I've lost a job I genuinely enjoyed and b) am incredibly pissed off I had to tell the guy I was a member of the anti-fascist league and the socialist worker's party before he'd stop calling me 'disgusting' and 'racist', does anyone else think there's something weird going on here?
I was on a temp contract that expired in two weeks, they could have just chosen not to renew it - and that is the official reason for my leaving. I was also, modesty aside, the best of my training group - placed on the Specialist wing and nominated for an award due to high work performance - so work performance wasn't an issue. I was late today and I missed one day through a genuine emergency, which my supervisor authorised - but why not fire me for those things?
Why call me a racist?

Speaking from the situation of someone who got fired from a temp job yesterday because I forgot to log off a computer and someone else used it to go to an adult website, here's a couple of pieces of advice: One for now, one for the future.

1. The best thing to do is move on.

You probably don't have any recourse against the company because you were a temp and if British law is anything like US law, they can fire a temp for any reason. (If this is the case, I'm surprised they even told you why they were firing you.) They could have even fired you because that section has profanity if they wanted to, or they could just say "your fired" and not tell you why.

One thing I can tell you about life is that to get through it and stay sane, you can't let things you can't control bother you. Ultimately, if a company wants to fire you, they're going to find a way to fire you. You're best off throwing that on your resume and looking for a new job.

2. Take down your facebook, myspace, or any other online or public profiles you may have.

In today's environment, employers will use any methods necessary to find out any piece of information about you that they want, and the technology exists to find it. They use this information because it gives them "clues" about what kind of person you are (I put clues in quotations because they may or may not be true). It began with criminal background checks, evolved into credit checks, and now it involves those plus using the internet as another resource.

This reminds me of a funny phrase that a friend who does these checks for a living says. "We can find out anything we want about a person. Sometimes it's free, and sometimes it costs us 15 bucks, but we can find anything we want."

So how do you prevent this? Some people would say make the profile private, but that doesn't give you as much protection as you would think. I say, take it down. Just get rid of it. I know that a lot of people don't think it's fair, or right, but that's the way the world operates now, and you have to conform with it and rise to the top before you can make changes.

Also, one thing anyone can do that's simple that employers do is type your name in Google and see what comes up. This can help you know what people are looking at when you apply for a job.
 
it wasn't first impressions though.. I was there for so nearly three months. I worked 70 hour weeks.. I got on with everyone. Seriously everyone. I was 'part of the crowd', I was invited out with colleagues, I was asked to go to things with people, I was put forward for a fucking award.

It doesn't matter. I've a litre of vodka and three litres of finest single maltl
 
So how do you prevent this? Some people would say make the profile private, but that doesn't give you as much protection as you would think. I say, take it down. Just get rid of it. I know that a lot of people don't think it's fair, or right, but that's the way the world operates now, and you have to conform with it and rise to the top before you can make changes.

Exactly right. Yes, I hid my MySpace and Facebook profiles. Do I feel much safer about my information? Only to a point. I work at a law office, and we have a man here whose sole job is "finding people/information." I have no delusions of invincibility, I'm willing to bet he could turn up anything he wanted on me, and because of that I take solace in the fact that I keep my profiles very clean.

Also, one thing anyone can do that's simple that employers do is type your name in Google and see what comes up. This can help you know what people are looking at when you apply for a job.

Shit yeah, my current boss told me she did that for me when I applied. It's really just common sense, and it was worse for me because my (BAN ME PLEASE) friends had this inside joke where they would write "[firstname] [lastname] has AIDS" all over their MySpace profiles, so I would have to bitch at them to take it down. I have removed all instances of my last name from these message boards, although it popped up somewhere today so I'm having a mod take care of it since I no longer can.

it wasn't first impressions though.. I was there for so nearly three months. I worked 70 hour weeks.. I got on with everyone. Seriously everyone. I was 'part of the crowd', I was invited out with colleagues, I was asked to go to things with people, I was put forward for a fucking award.

Honestly, they might've just used this as an excuse to NOT have to offer you a full-time position. Shitty economy = cutbacks, and it's possible they'd much rather just cut you loose and bring in another temp. As for why they didn't wait until the end of your work period before letting you go, it's hard to say. Perhaps they didn't want you to get your hopes up, and they would rather take the coward's way out.

It doesn't matter. I've a litre of vodka and three litres of finest single maltl

What are you up to tomorrow night? Methinks we should get hammered. :avatar:
 
This is why I, like DM, try to remain anonymous over the internet. I don't have Facebook or MySpace, and basically the only thing I've shown on this forum is a single picture.
 
Okay, so this is the law for temp workers in the UK:

You can claim unfair dismissal if you have worked continuously for the same company for one year.
However, there are about 20 caveats or loopholes for people who do not meet this criteria, which can help temporary workers.
These include pregnancy or if your boss is unwilling to provide an itemised payslip.
The criteria are outlined in (PL712 Rev 16) on the Department of Trade and Industry's website.

I can't track down the PL712 Rev 16 document, but it might be worth checking out.

Also, a bill was proposed in October that granted a lot of equal rights to temporary workers who had been employed for twelve weeks or more. I'm not sure if it's too early to apply to you, but still, take a look. It's a revised wording of the Agency Worker's Directive.

Other interesting things: you will have been earning holiday pay under the law for your entire working period. Don't forget to claim it.
 
I think its a little bit overboard to say "don't have a facebook / myspace."

I personally find facebook to be really convenient for keeping in touch with people, especially friends from high school who are now scattered all over the place. That said, I strictly monitor everything on my facebook and am really liberal about deleting shit. Any picture involving me with alcohol, gone. Any picture involving me clearly in an altered state, gone. Any picture which even incorrectly seems like I might be in an inebriated state, gone. Any wall posts which suggest improper actions, gone. No interests listed, nothing there but an aim address and a phone number. Maybe I'm kidding myself, but I think this is enough to shield me from any shit like what happened to you.

The other thing that bothers me about this thread is the concept that work buddies shouldn't be friends. Granted, my experience working is limited to the non-career fields of tutoring and lifeguarding, but I still don't understand this. I lifeguarded for two years, got along great with coworkers and my bosses (of 21/22), and a bunch of us hung out reguarly both in and outside of work. After two years, the head lifeguard and waterfront director both left. The oldest of us got the waterfront director, and I got the head lifeguard position. I got it over three people more senior than myself, and over one just as senior. The three people more senior than myself were fine lifeguards, and knew their stuff properly, but they didn't fit in. Is it right that I was given the position? I don't know. To the new waterfront director, however, who got to appoint me to my position, he knew me better than my senior counterparts and knew I would do a fine job. So I would say that for avoiding being fired, hiding yourself from everybody probably would work fine, but if you want to work your way up the ladder a little quicker it probably wouldn't hurt to make some friends.

Edit: and to akuchi, I'm sorry, that really sucks. I don't know what else to say, doesn't seem like there's much you can do about it at this point. I hope things start looking up, and good luck! If all else fails, at least tell me when you and DM are getting drunk so I can join in...even if it is at 9 in the morning here.
 
If you decide to take this further. I'd really advise not changing anything on your facebook so it looks exactly how it does when they pulled this shit on you.
 
So...where's this workplace/company?

I'm sure I can arrange a few petrol/car bombings or a boycott of said company...

On a more serious not, though, you could easily take this discrimination to court.
 
Ugh, akuchi, come and live with me for a bit :) I'm on benefits too at the moment, we can be doley's together.

Now, I'm probably pretty stupid in asking this, but can't you just live at home with your parent(s) again? That's what I'm still doing as I know I'd definitely fail even more at life if I wasn't scrounging off my parents eletricity, tv, internet etc. I just split my benefits with my mum and she doesn't seem to mind much anymore. She's actually symphathizing with me at the moment trying to get a job in the state everything's in.

On the main topic though, I didn't even think they'd be allowed to do something like that because of your Facebook profile.. what has the world come to?
 
Sounds like somebody really needs help, and desperately. I know times are tough and it's easy for me to say hang in there.

Getting arrested only makes matters worse, so I'm sure you don't want to go through the same thing again.
 
Ugh, akuchi, come and live with me for a bit :) I'm on benefits too at the moment, we can be doley's together.

Now, I'm probably pretty stupid in asking this, but can't you just live at home with your parent(s) again? That's what I'm still doing as I know I'd definitely fail even more at life if I wasn't scrounging off my parents eletricity, tv, internet etc. I just split my benefits with my mum and she doesn't seem to mind much anymore. She's actually symphathizing with me at the moment trying to get a job in the state everything's in.

On the main topic though, I didn't even think they'd be allowed to do something like that because of your Facebook profile.. what has the world come to?

No, she won't have such a piece of shit living with her. Sympathising? Tigers are more likely to fly out of her ass.
 
This fucking sucks :V I say you sue 'em on the spot, if trying to get back there doesn't work.

I don't know, this is one of the stupidest reason I have seen for firing someone, they're so dumb they can't even read correctly.

Hope everything goes well akuchi :|

Edit: don't die
 
Akuchi said:
trying to get my shit together, just stopped by my mother's to pick up some more of my things, bought myself a laptop (there's living on a shoestring for you!) and now don't have much money for food.
Why would you buy a laptop, when you barely have money for food? If you're going to get by on very little, the first thing to go are the non-essentials.
 
Judging by the language you used on your interests, I'd say you are a very outspoken and passionate person. That in itself could have made the bosses nervous, and the racism part could have just been their excuse for letting you go. They would have felt bad firing you for being intense, but racism is something people can get behind *shrug*. Like others I don't know anything about UK Labor laws, but I know in the US I've seen special provisions for Facebook itself. Yeah it sucks, but these days you've got to read (and understand) your contract from start to finish so you don't get boned by these things in the end. This is why I take the following steps:

1) I don't put anything "controversial" on my facebook. No, this does not mean I do not stand up for my beliefs. I don't see how ranting about my beliefs on an online site equates to me taking action. If I feel strongly about something, I go out into the real world and fight for it. Identifying yourself on the internet just makes you a target.

2) In addition to my facebook profile being friends only, I never accept friend requests from co-workers or bosses (especially at a temp job). Unless you really are great friends with that person, don't be friends with them on facebook. But I guess we're all guilty of having friends we don't really consider friends on Facebook, don't we? I guess that's because there's no "Acquaintances" list on there.

3) Lists are always better with 3 points.


Yes, your situation sucks, but try to see the bright side: Now you have the opportunity to search for a job where your boss WON'T fire you like that. I mean, would you have wanted to continue working for a guy like that anyway? You also have something new to add to your hatreds on your profile *grin*

We all love ya kuchi, go out there and get em!
 
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