“So TikTok Got Me Fired”: Woman In The Tech Industry Loses Her New Job After Her Employer Finds Her TikTok Account
The tech industry is infamous for being shrouded in secrets. Non-disclosure agreements and confidentiality forms seem to be handed out by tech companies like candy, but how far are they legally allowed to go with limiting their employees’ speech? One woman in Denver, Colorado, who recently landed a new job in the tech industry received a rude awakening when she learned that even sharing her salary online could ruffle a few feathers.
TikToker Lexi Larson shared a video earlier this week explaining how her online presence got her fired from her new job. Below, you can hear the full story from Lexi and read some of the responses her video has received. Let us know in the comments if you think her employer had any justification for dismissing her, and then if you’re looking to read another Bored Panda piece touching on salary transparency, check out this story next.
After only two weeks at her new tech job, TikToker Lexi Larson posted a video detailing how she was fired for sharing content online
Image credits: itslexilarson
Lexi explained that she never violated any company policies, but her employer was upset about her salary information being online and considered her TikTok a “security concern”
You can hear Lexi tell the story right here
@itslexilarson I got fired bc of my tiktok 🙂 #igotfired #techtok ♬ original sound – Lexi Larson
We have all been warned about the implications of posting too much information on the internet. It stays out there forever, everything can be screenshotted, and we might regret sharing anything too personal. But companies almost always have policies in place designating specifically what cannot be posted, so employees do not have to play a guessing game about what they are allowed to reveal. Having defined parameters makes everyone’s life easier. In this case, Lexi explained that she asked her employers if she had broken any policies or posted anything that was a security concern, and they responded that she had not. Fear that an employee might violate a policy sometime in the hypothetical future is not a valid reason to terminate their contract.
@itslexilarsonLol♬ original sound – You’re mine now heheheheh😩😩
Furthermore, Lexi noted that sharing her salary online was one of the main reasons her employer was upset. However, in the United States, individuals have the right to openly discuss their wages, at work and in other places, without being retaliated against by their employers. This right is protected by the National Labor Relations Act, and even notes that when it comes to communications like social media, employers enacting “policies that specifically prohibit the discussion of wages are unlawful”.
In a follow-up video, Lexi said that she has no plans to seek legal action against the company, but many commenters said that if she wanted to sue, she might have a case. Even if this is the end of Lexi’s saga with that company, hopefully she has opened their eyes by posting about how they wrongfully treated her. Companies should not be allowed to get away with firing employees for having social media accounts, so hopefully this discussion will help prevent future unjust terminations. Let us know in the comments how you feel about this situation or if you have ever been in a similar situation with your employer.
Commenters have responded with outrage for the situation, telling Lexi that her termination was unfair and that she should consult a lawyer
I finally got a unionized job. Everyone knew what everyone else made, or could look it up easily. This situation she describes is load of bollocks. Sounds like "rules" by the rich for the rich.. When are people going to wake up. You will never be one of them no matter how much they try to convince you to just work harder and save and invest.
Y’all seem to be confused on how at will works. She can still have a case before her state’s labor board regardless of the state being at will or not. The employer will still have to respond to a wrongful termination claim and she can clearly link her termination to what she stated and their assumption that she could potentially share confidential information. The employer’s response would need to include specifics regarding her termination, i.e. any written documentation, meeting logs, etc. Regardless of a state being at will or not, employers still have to follow state and federal labor laws that at will does not make them exempt from. Employers like to use the at will term to discourage employees from filing claims with the labor board.
That makes sense. If I were her, I’d complain just so they don’t try to do this with someone else, because everyone has social media in this day and age. Meaning everyone can potentially be a data leak.
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Not to splash cold water on all the righteous anger, except most companies have trial periods with new hires. Meaning, you can be for fire for any or no reason, as in “not a good fit.” Two weeks with an unknown, new hire is not some long-standing legally protected position.
I finally got a unionized job. Everyone knew what everyone else made, or could look it up easily. This situation she describes is load of bollocks. Sounds like "rules" by the rich for the rich.. When are people going to wake up. You will never be one of them no matter how much they try to convince you to just work harder and save and invest.
Y’all seem to be confused on how at will works. She can still have a case before her state’s labor board regardless of the state being at will or not. The employer will still have to respond to a wrongful termination claim and she can clearly link her termination to what she stated and their assumption that she could potentially share confidential information. The employer’s response would need to include specifics regarding her termination, i.e. any written documentation, meeting logs, etc. Regardless of a state being at will or not, employers still have to follow state and federal labor laws that at will does not make them exempt from. Employers like to use the at will term to discourage employees from filing claims with the labor board.
That makes sense. If I were her, I’d complain just so they don’t try to do this with someone else, because everyone has social media in this day and age. Meaning everyone can potentially be a data leak.
Load More Replies... Not to splash cold water on all the righteous anger, except most companies have trial periods with new hires. Meaning, you can be for fire for any or no reason, as in “not a good fit.” Two weeks with an unknown, new hire is not some long-standing legally protected position.
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