Waitress fired for putting receipt on Reddit: Top five ways to get fired

Just how many people are fired every week because they call in sick and then post their activities on social media! They must think that their employers will never know. It's a small world, and someone will see it and say something to someone else. There may be someone actually thrilled to find a way to hurt you on the job. If you call in sick and must post on Facebook, talk about phlegm!It seems harmless to snap photos at parties. Sometimes it is so much fun to catch someone doing something stupid, irresponsible, or even illegal. Stop! Don't! These seemingly good-spirited photos can cause you or someone else to lose their job. This involves being careful what you post about yourself and friends, but being careful what photos are posted and tagged about you by friends. Cell phones can snap photos that we are not even aware are being taken, so this requires due diligence on everyone's part. If you want to get fired, post a picture of yourself like the one above. The waitress in the news story posted a photo of the receipt, signed by the customer. It could just as easily have been a status post even without identifying the customer. Anything about work that is posted by an employee on social media puts their employment at risk. Employers will take a word of mouth accusation that an employee has posted something unsuitable as basis for firing. Comments about management, co-workers, or the company in general could get someone fired.View the list »
Top five ways to get fired on social media

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Update: 3:02 p.m.

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ABC.go reports that the waitress who was fired for posting the receipt in question in this article did not wait on the party herself.

Chelsea Welch, the Applebee's waitress who received the hateful comment on a receipt from a pastor, has been fired. According to Yahoo News on Jan. 31, 2013, the firing was due to the fact that Welch posted the signed receipt on Reddit, a social media website.

According to Yahoo News, the female pastor, Alois Bell, wrote the following on her meal receipt:

"I give God 10%," Bell wrote on the receipt, scratching out the automatic tip and scribbling in an emphatic "0" where the additional tip would be. "Why do you get 18?" (There were more than eight people in Bell's party, triggering the auto-tip.)

Initially, the pastor, whose signature was recognized by many friends, was very upset. She notified the restaurant management who apologized and told her that Welch was no longer employed. Since the firing, the pastor has expressed regret that she embarrassed her church.

Chelsea Welch, the former Applebee's waitress, made a common mistake when she posted that receipt on social media. Servers and other employees are being increasingly terminated from their jobs due to mistakes made on social media.

Let's look at the top five ways to get fired on social media in the attached slide show.

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  •  The waitress in the news story posted a photo of the receipt, signed by the customer. It could just as easily have been a status post even without identifying the customer. Anything about work that is posted by an employee on social media puts their employment at risk. Employers will take a word of mouth accusation that an employee has posted something unsuitable as basis for firing. Comments about management, co-workers, or the company in general could get someone fired.
  • It seems harmless to snap photos at parties. Sometimes it is so much fun to catch someone doing something stupid, irresponsible, or even illegal. Stop! Don't! These seemingly good-spirited photos can cause you or someone else to lose their job. This involves being careful what you post about yourself and friends, but being careful what photos are posted and tagged about you by friends. Cell phones can snap photos that we are not even aware are being taken, so this requires due diligence on everyone's part. If you want to get fired, post a picture of yourself like the one above.
  • Just how many people are fired every week because they call in sick and then post their activities on social media! They must think that their employers will never know. It's a small world, and someone will see it and say something to someone else. There may be someone actually thrilled to find a way to hurt you on the job. If you call in sick and must post on Facebook, talk about phlegm!
  • One of the most commonly discussed problems in the workplace is the use of company computers to send personal emails, surf the net, and enjoy social media. In almost all situations, this can be grounds for dismissal. Even the most relaxed work environments have limits on this behavior. It is of primary importance to remember that anything you do at work is accessible to your employer. There are no privacy issues to be defended when you are on company equipment and company time.If you must send an email while at work, use your smartphone. The same applies for that job search website and the porno site, too. 
  • Before you send that text message to a coworker or friend about your "stupid boss," think twice. A text message is dated and has your return phone information on it. Do you really want to document that you said that about your boss or company? A voice mail can also be the cause of a lot of heartache.  Before you begin a tirade on someone's voice mail, saying things that you might regret, it's best to at least wait until you calm down. Smartphones make communication so fast and easy; sometimes we need to be slow and thoughtful before we speak.
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, Knoxville Social Media Examiner

Barbie Crafts enjoys pursuing her freelance career by writing on a variety of topics here at the Examiner. She has also been published on Associated Content, Demand Media, Triond, and Crafts 'n Things magazine.

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