Lindsey Stone has become the focus of media headlines the wrong way; by doing something stupid and disrespectful and then posting it on Facebook.
Lindsey and a co-worker have been fired after posting the above picture on her Facebook Page during a recent trip to Arlington Cemetery while on a business trip.
The photo has created outrage among most Americans and has caused Lindsey’s employee to receive over 6,000 negative comments on their Facebook Page as most are calling for her to be fired.
The call for firing and Lindsey evenually being fired has also brought the discussion around social media policy and our first amendment right of “freedom of speech” back into the forefront.
From Mashable.com:
Stone and Schuh wrote an apology that ran in the Boston Herald, stating that the photo was “intended only for our own amusement.” The apology states that the photo was meant to be a visual pun “to depict the exact opposite of what the sign said, and had absolutely nothing to do with the location it was taken or the people represented there.”
Stone and Schuh aren’t the first employees to be fired because of a social media post. A California woman, Denise Helms, just got fired earlier this month from her job at Cold Stone Creamery after she called President Obama the n-word on Facebook.
These firings won’t be the last. The National Labor Relations Board, earlier this month, declared that social media postings are not protected under federal labor law. A judge also ruled in May that a Like on Facebook can also get you fired.
Social media policy and guidelines can protect a funeral home and employees from being put in a legal battle resulting from a social media post or comment. A social media policy also lets employees know what can and should be posted on social media channels when referring to the company or representing the company.
Does your funeral home have a social media policy? Do you understand your funeral homes social media policy?
More Information on Social Media Policy and Guidelines for Funeral Homes
Read here for information on why you funeral home should have a socia media policy.
If you are interested in more information on creating a social media policy document for your funeral home and training for your staff on what is acceptable to post on social media channels (related to your social media policy) please email: ryan @ disruptmg.com
I don’t think this should be narrowed to a Social Media policy. She should be fired for being a stupid idiot for doing that gesture in public – Facebook or no Facebook. Social media is just outing these idiots on a more regular basis.
Have some class! When you try to do something like this to appear “clever” or “cool” on Facebook, please grow up! Ever heard of being mature? …or professional perhaps?