What are the rules of using social media at work?

[Daniel]

All depends on what state you live and work in. Here in California we have a Labor Board. Employers cannot fire you for practicing free speech unless you break the law or disclose company information. But you can be sued for liable if you say something, even just on Facebook, that is not true. If you hurt a companies business by saying something that is untrue, you could be in deep trouble. You should try to keep things anonymous if possible but California has great consumer and employee protection laws.

In states like New Hampshire there are no such laws. In New Hampshire you can be fired for ANY reason. If they do not like you any more than can fire you in New Hampshire without giving you a reason and there is nothing you can do about it. Other states are like New Hampshire although you will have to research to find out the laws in your own state.

While you are being paid by your employer you should not be using social media sites during work hours. If you get caught you can be in trouble. In California a company has to give you 3 written warnings before they can fire you, unless you break the law or do something major against the rules. In California, for instance, if an employer caught you using Facebook one time and fired you, they would likely be sued and you could get a lot of money and your job back. But once you are given 3 written warnings then they can fire you after the 3rd time.