Perils of Posting - Court Cases on Off-Duty Social Media Conduct of Public Employees

In recent years, there has been an increase of public employees being fired for inappropriate behavior on social media. This research explores social media conduct of public employees that have been adjudicated through the federal and state court systems. The arguments of these cases are based upon the question of an employee's first amendment rights versus the rights of the employer to maintain a desired work environment. The research found that widespread negative publicity, disruption of close working relationships, inappropriate and offensive employees comments led to favorable outcomes for the public employers. In contrast, when an employee posts on social media while off-duty as a private citizen, the employer has not cited any disruption and the comments are not personal attacks against employers but have substantial public concerns led to positive outcomes for the public employee.

List of contents

Chapter 1: Free Speech versus Order and Discipline

Chapter 2: Enter Social Media

Chapter 3: Case Studies on Paramilitary Job Action

Chapter 4: Case Studies on Education Job Action

Chapter 5: Case Studies on Civil Service Job Action

Chapter 6: Data on Social Media Cases and Empirical Analysis

Chapter 7: Human Resource Strategies

Chapter 8: Conclusion

About the author

Paul Douglas Foote is associate professor of political science at Murray State University. James R. Harrington is associate professor of public and nonprofit management at the University of Texas at Dallas. John McCaskill Jr. is clinical professor of public and nonprofit management at the University of Texas at Dallas.Stephen Perry is director of graduate programs in communication and the interim dean of the Robertson School of Government at Regent University.

Summary

This book examines the rise of social media, the increase of public employees being fired for inappropriate behavior on social media, and subsequent litigation being adjudicated through the federal and state court systems.

Product details

• Authors: Paul Douglas Foote, Paul Douglas Harrington Foote, James R. Harrington, John McCaskill, John Jr. McCaskill, John McCaskill Jr.
• Publisher: Lexington Books
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 31.12.2019
• EAN: 9781498588928
• ISBN: 978-1-4985-8892-8
• No. of pages: 126
• Subjects: Social sciences, law, business > Political science > Political science and political education; USA, Media Studies, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Public Policy / Social Policy, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Censorship, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Public Policy / Communication Policy, United States of America, USA, Media studies: internet, digital media and society, Central / national / federal government policies, Political control and freedoms, Central government policies, Freedom Of Information & Freedom Of Speech, Civil service and public sector, Civil Service & Public Sector