UBC professor faces backlash after social media post: Employment lawyer with the Vancouver Sun

Interview Summary

A professor at the University of British Columbia is facing backlash after posting a tweet in response to the assassination attempt of former U.S. President Donald Trump. Despite deleting the post, Karen Pinder faced widespread calls asking for her termination from the university. Can employees face terminations or other consequences from their employers for posting on their personal social media accounts?

Mackenzie Irwin, an Ontario employment lawyer and Senior Associate at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP joined the Vancouver Sun to discuss the backlash and potential repercussions for employees due to online conduct.

Interview Notes

• Terminating an employee “for cause”: Irwin explained that an employee’s social media activity could lead to a termination for cause if it violates their employer’s social media policies. “Employees need to be very cognizant of their social media use. A breach of social media policy is not necessarily ’cause.’ Cause depends on whether that post is impacting a company’s reputation and goodwill.”
• Impact on employer’s reputation: Employees in a high-profile position or a public-facing position should be even more wary of their online conduct. “This impact would be heightened if the employee has a high-profile position, and their social media accounts easily connect them to their employer.”

Related Resources

For further insights and discussions related to disciplinary action and terminations, explore the following resources:

• Fired for social media behaviour