GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK)- The recent incident involving a tweet made by Roseanne, serves as a reminder that people are always watching what you post.
Social media has opened the door, allowing our lives to become increasingly more public. And that access has changed what employers look at when hiring.
“If they’re out there, they’re looking at them. If they’re made public, they’re looking at them,” explained Denise Knuston.
Knuston, is a trainer for the H.S Group, a company specializing in workplace ethics.
She says what you think is private may not always be, “Don’t assume that just because your privacy settings are set high that your employer won’t see it. Anything is out there for anyone to find.”
Knutson says scanning through public social media accounts has now become a common part of the hiring process.
“Employers have the right to protect their brand,” she said. “It’s a fine line between balancing what does my employers get to see and the first amendment for freedom of speech.”
Just as companies look to protect their image, experts say you should also be trying to protect yours.
“With a screenshot or click what you say could be shared with other audiences, that you may not have intended,” said Jena Richter Landers, Social Media Coordinator at UWGB.
“You have to consider not only what you’re posting publicly, but what other people are posting about you,” she continued. “Whether they’re tagging you or not it’s something you need to be aware of.”
Experts say the easiest way to avoid an unwanted or inappropriate post is to always think before you hit enter.
“I think with the whole Rosanne situation, we all learned clicking delete click isn’t enough,” Richter Landers told FOX 11.
State law does not allow an employer to require access to an employee’s social media accounts.
An employer also cannot force an employee to give up passwords to personal accounts.
