Blog #1

I agree that employees should not be allowed to criticize their employers in a public forum such as a blog. Employee blogs are a good source for companies, and their customers to get useful information regarding company products and relations. In my opinion, it is inappropriate to judge anybody in public forums. As we know, everyone has the right to free speech, but we still need to be respectful. For instance, Dale Carnegie said, “talk about your own mistakes before you criticize other people.” Employees should use caution when posting any criticism on their blogs to complain about their bosses or boring jobs. Since, these actions could lead them to getting fired, or it can prevent them from getting hired after losing their jobs. Moreover, they could get sued.

On the Fence

I feel that blogging can be beneficial in multiple ways for a company and it's employees. For business purposes, I believe it is important for companies to hear feedback from their customers to know what to improve on and be more pleasing for the customer (being customers are the reason the company is in business.) Doing a blog is also beneficial in the sense that it is not just another boring questionnaire you must answer before entering a site, so the people commenting are doing so to improve the company and not just saying anything to get to what he or she is really wanting to do. For employees, I can see a blog as a way to relieve stress. This way, the employee can get whatever is stressing him or her off their chest without causing an uprising. But, I do agree that the employee must be aware to what he or she is saying. I can understand complaining about a job, but it is unnecessary to include the name of the employer and any information that non-employees are not allowed to know. With that, I also say that the employees should do their blogging while at home rather than at work. I understand free speech, but do it not on the employers time.

Blogging at work

I feel that as an employee of a business, it would be highly inappropriate to talk badly about the employer that hires you. Even though people are able to have a freedom of speech, they should not think about talking bad about their employers. If people are able to bad talk their workplace that could and might possibly result in loss of business and revenue. Being able to talk badly about the workplace and actually giving advice about the company itself is very different. When advice is given about a company, that's someone concerning about the potential customer. When you actually talk bad about the company, you're wanting to intentionally have the company lose profit and customers.

Blog #1

I feel that if a blog is set up for the company's beneficial use, it should strictly be used for business only. Those who use the blog to criticize the company or individuals is misusing the blog and its purpose. Blogs are a very benefical way for information to be exchanged, as well as communicating with others. And in every way, the blog should be used for business matters.

If others decide to criticize the company or individuals within, they should do so outside of the company blog. However, if someone is displaying inappropriate information about their company or individuals within, and are caught doing so, disciplinary action should take place. There is obviously a reason why the employeer is unahppy with his/her employeer or other employees, so the matter should be dealt with privately. Also, while a blog may not be the best way to vent frustrations, as long as it is a personal blog, they have a right to their own opinions and freedom of speech. But, the employee should understand that the company has every right to discipline them for their behavior.

So, I believe that we are all entitled to our own opinions about anything and everything. The company has every right to take disciplinary action due to the posting of inappropriate information by an employee. But everyone needs to be cautious of how they display such opinions because it can ruin careers and cause problems later in life.

-Ashley Grubb

Blog #1

I don’t think employees should be allowed to criticize their employers in a public forum such as a blog. To me, that seems like they’re just asking to be fired. I can understand that people do not like their jobs and need a place to vent, but doing so on a public forum, in a blog, or on any other form of social networking site is immature. Employees may feel more obligated to vent on something like a blog rather than to their employer’s face because they can hide behind the internet and say how they truly feel, but this won’t solve any problems that are between the employee and his/her employer. In fact, more conflict will probably arise if the employer stumbles upon the posts. People need to realize that anything they say on the internet can be seen by almost anyone and it can easily be taken out of proportion and come back to bite you.

Blog assignment 1

I agree with Evan Wainwright that blogging is a good way to communicate. It is both rapid and less intimidating than calling together a group of people into one room. Even though it is less intimidating, I think employees who have a hard time with face-to-face communication should not rely on it too heavily because it is also impersonal.

I think that if employees have issues with a company they should not be posting it on a public forum; rather speak to someone who could change the problems they have. There is no point complaining to a bunch of people who can’t do anything to change your problems. Employees should be careful when posting on blogs because once it is out there and people read it you can’t take it back. Inappropriate comments or even just constant complaining can affect the way your coworkers view and work you.

Company Blogging

Blogging is a great way for businesses to communicate with staff members. Employees who are intimidated with face-to-face communication may find it easier to share their ideas this way. Employers can also give employees feedback on how they are doing as a whole, which can boost morale. In addition, a manager can use the blog to speak to his or her employees about companies’ goals or new strategies. Although blogs can be very beneficial, employees can speak negatively on a company blogs. Negative opinion can be highly inappropriate. Postings against a company by employees can cause tension and/or result in an unproductive workplace. When an employee speaks negatively about a colleague or boss, rumors start and they can cause mistrust within the company. Constructive criticisms can be used but only to better the company and not for personal attack. Employees should also be aware of what they post; an employer could terminate them for bringing hostility to the work environment. An employee’s problems with a company should be discussed with management privately: not on a blog.

Evan Wainwright

Blog Assignment 1

I agree with the original author. Before an employee goes out and puts anything hurtful on the web they need to go through the proper chain of command. With out doing so you make yourself look immature, and hurt your chances to look credible to the rest of your company. In todays society employees need to not only think about their own feelings but proper channel for disatisfaction in the workplace. I can almost guarentee that people are more apt to listen and respond to complaints that follow the chain of command, and are entered in a calm respectable manner, than the complaints that are hurtful, and put on the web for a mass audience to see. Companies should have a plan available for employees outlinging their expectations on employees complaints and employees should follow this outline. If this is done the entire situation can run smmothly.

CYBERATTACKING EMPLOYERS

Employees should not be allowed to criticize their employers in public forums, such as a blog. Internet communication is essential in today’s business, since this is a digital age. However, when this medium of communication is misused by using it against certain employers, it can cause a lot of harm on the companies’ and most importantly on the employers’ eminence. It can also cause a decline in the number of recruitment due to a bad stature. Blogging was majorly designed for the purpose of customer and employee relation, but in recent times some employees are mishandling it by disclosing confidential information, criticizing the management, and presenting interests that are in conflict with the company policies. Therefore, the employees involved are violating their loyalty towards the company. Loyalty in a company encompasses confidentiality, and obedience. According to a principle set in American law known as, ‘at will employment,’ states that the law permits employers to discharge employees who are found disloyal to the company. When an employee criticizes his manager using a public forum, he is no more than a sheep behind a fox skin. In matters of problems between employers and employees, I am in agreement with my fellow bloggers, who think the only way to sort these problems out is by face to face discussions.

I agree with companies, who use blogs to communicate with current and potential customers, should be able to filter what is posted to their blog. Employees who publicly criticize their employers are just asking for some form of disciplinary action. Not only does public criticism hurt the well-being of the company but it also hurts the public image of the employee. Customers will not want to purchase products or services from someone who doesn't like or agree with their employer for fear of a bad customer service experience. If you feel the need to criticize your employer or give suggestions of how to make the experience better it should be done in private with your boss, that will most likely lead to the best result.

Issue 1

Companies who choose to use a blog as a source of feedback should be prepared for negative comments. These comments however, should not come from employees. Problems between employees and their employers are private matters that need to be discussed behind closed doors. For an employee to speak down on their employer is against the code of ethics and there should be limits to what a employee posts on a blog.

Company Blogs

I believe that company blogs can be a great asset for companies to share ideas with other colleagues and also to have a human connection with a companies customers. The ability to use a blog and other new media tools in the age that we are in allows companies to reach more and more costumers. These can be wonderful benefits for a company of any size. However, there are also downfalls to a company operating a blog. A blog creates a setting in which an employee feels that they are removed from the workplace and in turn would be more likely to criticize a company or its employees. This criticism affects the morale at the office and the perception that the company has in the households of people all over the state and even the globe for larger companies. Although I believe in free speech, there are times and places for everything. I believe that criticizing your company on a blog is not one of those times or places. I would also argue that if one chooses to do so I would advise that person to be prepared to look for employment elsewhere.

By: Robert Reynolds

Talking Shock: Issue #1

I think that employees should not be able to bad talk the company or a fellow co-worker on a blog. That is not helpful to the business and there is no real reason for that to be going on, on the Internet. It is one thing for a employee to criticize a co-worker or the company to a friend in person. But on the internet that is public information for everyone to read. I do not think that it is right for a employee to put information out that is bad press for the company. Criticism of the company breaks the code of ethics.

Company Blogging

I believe that an employee having a blog has pros and cons. The benefits of the blog would be free advertising for the company. The employee would be endorsing the company through their blog and possibly attracting new clients. Blogging would be more convenient for customers to ask questions and receive an answer. If a customer was unable to call the company during their hours of business, they could get on the blog and ask their question. The employee with the blog would be able to respond to the question. Maybe another customer has the same question, they will benefit from that blog post as well. However, blogs are not always a good thing.

An employee may be having a rough day when she logs on to blog. The employee uses the blog as a way to relieve her stress and says some inappropriate things about her company and boss. Not only does her boss read this blog, but customers as well. She now has made a bad reputation for the company and disrespected her boss. I do not think this is tolerable. Employees should not be able to criticize their boss or company on a public blog. Company policies state that the employee will promote the company in a positive manner. By posting this blog she is not promoting the company, rather she is dishonoring the company policy.

Blogs in the Workplace

The First Amendment gives everyone in the United States of America the freedom of speech. While this is true, that doesn't mean that what you say in person or through a computer screen does not have consequences. Try burning an American Flag in the front yard of your own house, the property that you own, and see if there is no reaction to your action. It is the same principle in the workplace. If you slander the company that you work for over the internet, which is as public as anyone can get, then there will be a strong reaction from your superior to the action that you partook in. What the superior decides as a punishment for the insult that the person wrote against the company is acceptable and, in my mind, needed. The internet is not a safe haven to write whatever you want about anything that you want. There could be billions of people reading what you wrote and could possibly lose a company sales. So, the leadership in a company has full right to terminate an employee who writes something on a blog that the leadership find unacceptable.

Company Blog

I agree that companies, which have blogs, should restrict what can go on, and what can be talked about on the blog. I do not think it is appropriate for employees to ctriticize those people and the company of which employs them. Certain things, such as telling people of new products or new changes to some products would be appropriate. Posts on the blog should be beneficial to the company and the employees not just a way to put the company down in the minds of people who do not have anything to do with the policies or procedures of the company. Employee postees should remember that the public can read these blogs along with all of the other company employees and employers. No matter the circumstances people should always that a blog is public, and what you would not say out loud in front of everyone should not be posted.

Issue #1

The Changing Workplace: Personal Expression at Work
(From page twenty three in Business Communication Essentials, exercise three)

Blogging has become a popular way for employees to communicate with customers and other parties outside the company. In some cases, employee blogs have been quite beneficial for both companies and their customers, providing helpful information and "putting a human face" on otherwise formal and imposing corporations. However, in some cases, employees have been fired for posting information that their employers said was inappropriate. One particular area of concern is criticism of the company or individual managers. Should employees be allowed to criticize their employers in a public forum such as a blog? Briefly argue for or against company policies that prohibit any critical information on employee blogs.

The book instructs you to write this in email form: please disregard this direction. Compose your answer in  regular paragraph form.