Working Wounded: What Are the Rules for Blogging About Your Job?

March 9, 2007 — -- Dear WW: I've got some complaints about my company and I'm thinking about starting a blog. What do I need to know before I post my first entry? OFF MY CHEST

Dear OFF,

Your e-mail reminded me of a child recently born in a hospital hallway in West Yorkshire, England. The baby shot out of her mom so quickly that she hit the floor and skidded before the umbilical cord acted like a bungee and pulled the baby back toward mom.

Just like that "bungee" baby, your blog comments can fly right back in your face. So you've got to proceed with caution before blogging. I've included a few suggestions below. For more, check out Nancy Flynn's book, "Blog Rules" (Amacom, 2006).

Do you know what a blog is? The word blog is derived from web-log, a personal journal on the Web (mine appears at ABCnews.go.com/Business). If you didn't know this, you're not alone -- 30 percent of employers don't know what a blog is, according to a recent survey. Contact people who write blogs about work to find out the do's and don'ts.

Are you willing to get fired over your blog? Before you post your first blog, you need to know where your company stands on them. Read your company handbook and talk to people in human resources. However, don't assume that you can say anything just because your company doesn't have a formal policy.

Do you rely on the First Amendment to protect you? Most of us know about our First Amendment protections concerning free speech. What most people don't understand is that this protection concerns the government's ability to limit your ability to speak out; the First Amendment has nothing to do with speech surrounding a private enterprise. You can go to court to fight for this right, but you need to understand that it's far from guaranteed.

Do you understand what "employment at will" means? Most employees in the U.S. are "at will" employees. As a famous court case once observed, "You can be fired for a good reason, a bad reason or no reason at all." I'm not saying that you aren't entitled to your opinions, but voicing these opinions could get you fired.

Do you protect your most important contacts? We tend to think of the Internet as transitory. And it often is. At the same time, you can't control how long something stays on a server somewhere. So, realize that your rant against XYZ corporation could potentially be dug up when you are interviewing for a job ten years from now.

Except for a few bruises, the "bungee" baby was fine. Follow these tips and you should minimize things flying back at you because of your blog.

Here are the results from a recent workingwounded.com/ABCnews.com online ballot: How confident are you about your retirement?

Ready to retire now, 17.3 percent
I'll never retire, 21.7 percent
I've still got a way to go, 60.8 percent

"Retirement at 65 is ridiculous. When I was 65, I still had pimples." George Burns

From Psychologically Healthy Workplace Awards

Just reading this stresses me out.

Workplace Stress

(American Psychological Association, 2004)

(Northwestern National Life)

(American Institute of Stress)

(American Psychological Association, 2004)

Bob Rosner is a best-selling author, speaker and internationally syndicated columnist. He'd love to hear your thoughts on this week's topic, especially if you have better ideas than he does. His best-selling books include "The Boss's Survival Guide" and "Gray Matters: The Workplace Survival Guide." Send your questions or comments to him via bob@workingwounded.com.

This week's poll question: Do you blog?

Never, it's a dog
Sometimes I'm willing to slog
What the heck is a blog?