Technology as a Tool for Revenge?
Have you heard about the employee terminated by Apple because of his irreverent performance in a company talent show? Better yet, have you seen his video? The web video, produced for and sent to friends of the individual, has in the past month ricocheted around the web and has become one of the most popular selections on Google Video. The validity of the termination has become a widely discussed topic on numerous HR blogs. Are you and your company ready to have your human resource decisions dissected on the internet? Can you think of situations that might not hold up favorably under intense public scrutiny?
The past several years has seen tremendous growth in websites catering to disgruntled employees, ex-employees and dissatisfied customers. Often the postings are so emotionally charged that any logic behind the posting is lost. More often than not the result is a posting that can be read for amusement as opposed to being taken seriously. Sometimes, as appears to be the case in the above described scenario, the event and its description takes on a life of its own - with no planned malice toward the company. That being said, it is also true that widely distributed negative postings, regardless of whether or not they are justified or intended for mass publication, can take a toll on a company's image and credibility.
Technology has provided simple platforms for individuals to use in airing grievances and "dirty laundry". It doesn't take long for a simple e-mail, intended for a small audience, to become forwarded around the globe and the subject turned into the latest urban legend. Is it possible that companies whose greatest concern relative to disgruntled employees has historically been defending themselves in a court of law (even when the charges are unfounded) now face an even more costly and potentially damaging adversary in technology?
As an HR professional, can any of us honestly say that we are 100% comfortable with every company decision we have supported? Would every decision or action hold up favorably under public scrutiny? The ready availability of technology as a platform to communicate anything and everything, factual or not, balanced or not, means that companies may need to be even more cautious about dotting the i's and crossing the t's.
While I find the video of the former Apple employee somewhat entertaining, I recognize that it depicts one side of the situation and therefore won't offer an opinion on the validity of the termination. Instead, I will simply use Apple's experience as a reminder to all of us that Big Brother, or more importantly, the public, may be watching.
To read Christopher Cornell's article regarding the termination and the video, as posted on workindex.com, click here: Internet Complicates HR Decisions . One caution, if you select the link to view the video, some may find some of the language offensive.
Posted by Denise Knutson, Senior Consultant, The H.S. Group
The past several years has seen tremendous growth in websites catering to disgruntled employees, ex-employees and dissatisfied customers. Often the postings are so emotionally charged that any logic behind the posting is lost. More often than not the result is a posting that can be read for amusement as opposed to being taken seriously. Sometimes, as appears to be the case in the above described scenario, the event and its description takes on a life of its own - with no planned malice toward the company. That being said, it is also true that widely distributed negative postings, regardless of whether or not they are justified or intended for mass publication, can take a toll on a company's image and credibility.
Technology has provided simple platforms for individuals to use in airing grievances and "dirty laundry". It doesn't take long for a simple e-mail, intended for a small audience, to become forwarded around the globe and the subject turned into the latest urban legend. Is it possible that companies whose greatest concern relative to disgruntled employees has historically been defending themselves in a court of law (even when the charges are unfounded) now face an even more costly and potentially damaging adversary in technology?
As an HR professional, can any of us honestly say that we are 100% comfortable with every company decision we have supported? Would every decision or action hold up favorably under public scrutiny? The ready availability of technology as a platform to communicate anything and everything, factual or not, balanced or not, means that companies may need to be even more cautious about dotting the i's and crossing the t's.
While I find the video of the former Apple employee somewhat entertaining, I recognize that it depicts one side of the situation and therefore won't offer an opinion on the validity of the termination. Instead, I will simply use Apple's experience as a reminder to all of us that Big Brother, or more importantly, the public, may be watching.
To read Christopher Cornell's article regarding the termination and the video, as posted on workindex.com, click here: Internet Complicates HR Decisions . One caution, if you select the link to view the video, some may find some of the language offensive.
Posted by Denise Knutson, Senior Consultant, The H.S. Group
posted by The H.S. Group at
12:25 PM
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