*Everyone* complains about their job at one point or another, though.

Some employers do include disparagement clauses, as well.

Well, sure.

Even if it's in passing.

The thing is, with social media, we've been toying with something that's EXTREMELY powerful, and yet we've been taking it for granted.

We don't really think about it, but when we post something on Twitter, or on Facebook, we've basically got the same potential as an advertiser does.

That's the difference between posting stuff on social media and saying something with a group of friends.

If that guy at Subway got a private text he sent to a friend, and fired them over that text

or a recorded conversation bitching about work

and got fired over that

100% in the guy's corner

but when you post something on Facebook

You've sent a message into the ether, and you no longer control it.

Someone could share it, and then it's gone.

I understand that, but it still sets a precedent.

I mean, yeah, it does, but Subway, the franchise owner, the district manager, the store manager - they're all required to protect their brand, and someone complaining specifically about Subway when they're paid by them, on social media where the wrong thing could take off beyond even the poster's control, It's a conflict of interest and a risk of brand deprecation.

I 100% understand why they did it. We're playing with powerful toys when it comes to social media.

Maybe they shouldn't give their employees a reason to complain then? Even just firing her over a comment could be seen in and of itself as bad practice. It shows underhandedness and might add legitimacy to the person's claim, where there otherwise might not be.
This isn't even to mention in this particular case where she wasn't going around saying 'Subway sucks' or something. It was years ago now, but if I remember she was complaining about her schedule.

well, I mean, I don't know the nature of the complaint

But complaining about work is something EVERYONE does, as you said before.

Yeah, and this was too small of a case, never got attention, and me being your only source can barely remember why. Perhaps she complained in the wrong way or said it in such a way where it could be seen another.

And it actually derailed the main point a bit: that there's this trend coming up of platforms monitoring their users (or jobs monitoring their employees) while off of that platform of off-duty from that job.

As someone who's a business owner, and has been an assistant manager in the past, I can say it would probably depend on the manner in which she complained. if she called Subway out by name, that would be a degree worse than just saying 'Work Sucks'.

Like Twitch monitoring people's activity on twitter and the like.

Yeah, no, I see your point there

There's a point where it crosses a line from protecting a brand

into policing your employees

or in the case of twitch, contractors.

Maybe the work thing was kind of a bad example of my part, because there are good cases and bad cases of that happening.

Like, if I got fired for saying, by name, my employer sucks and nobody should use the service, and talk about what a tool one of our customers are, and release information like that

That's damaging to my employer, they have every right to fire me

But if I simply repost a spicy meme

I shouldn't get called into the manager's office over that.

I guess, but if it's something like "I hate my work hours" or something, that is much more inocuous.

I think the main issue in this discussion is that people are too accustomed to social media being their new "friend/audience"

That they forget that posting on open social media isn't
"Talking to friends" as much as "Announcing to the world"

And as chat is open to interpretation, their followers see it more as a point of noteworthy discussion
Aka, a complaint isn't letting off steam, but a genuine complaint

Jay put that quite well.

It also comes down to what was said and how it's said.

100%.

Oh yeah, my main point was if we would ever reach the point where a lack of social media accounts would ever in and of itself be a red flag to employers, because then there would be nothing for them of you to monitor.

oh that will definately happen,

"bad" branded social media will give you negative rep

like if you're on Gab, a "notorious alt-right blabla" form of twitter