Can my employer force me to open a twitter account and follow company executives?
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Can my employer force me to open a twitter account and follow company executives?
My employer I work in Texas, my
employer is based in Georgia has been
requesting employees to sign up for a
twitter account and follow company
executives. No explanation has been
provided regarding the request. New Link Destination
day
we were asked during business hours
to sign up again and report to our
supervisor who signed up. My question
is, can they legally ask me to sign up
for social media against my wishes, and
if I refuse, is this grounds for
termination?
Asked on April 13, 2017 under Employment Labor Law, Texas
Answers:
M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 7 years ago | Contributor
Yes, your employer can legally ask you to sign up for such an account and terminate you if you refuse. Actually, you can be fired for any reason or no reason at all (with or without notice). The fact is that most employment is "at will", which means that a company can set the conditions of the workplace much as it sees fit, absent some form of actionable discrimination. This includes mandating workers to open up social media accounts. Therefore, unless this action violates the terms of an employment contract or union agreement, it is legal.
M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 7 years ago | Contributor
Yes, your employer can legally ask you to sign up for such an account and terminate you if you refuse. Actually, you can be fired for any reason or no reason at all (with or without notice). The fact is that most employment is "at will", which means that a company can set the conditions of the workplace much as it sees fit, absent some form of actionable discrimination. This includes mandating workers to open up social media accounts. Therefore, unless this action violates the terms of an employment contract or union agreement, it is legal.
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