Professionalism
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Before You Vent
November 10, 2010
If you spend lots of time on Facebook.com complaining about your boss or job, the National Labor Relations Board may be your new best friend. Last week, the Labor Board accused a company of illegally firing an employee after she criticized her supervisor on her Facebook.com page. It’s the first time the government agency has argued that workers’ criticism of their boss or company on a social networking site is a protected activity and that employers violate the law when they punish workers, including interns, summer associates, and new hires, for such statements.
If a good old-fashioned vent session helps you relieve some of the stress of a normal day at work, the Labor Board’s decision suggests social networking sites are a safe place for you to let go. Before this becomes a habit, however, consider my own experience.
Years ago—before the Internet even existed—I was employed in the legislative affairs office of a major non-profit organization. I don’t recall exactly when it started, but sometime fairly early in my employment, I found myself regularly visiting the office of a fellow employee. On almost a daily basis, we engaged in our own little venting sessions. Neither of us was particularly crazy about our boss, and with very little effort, we found plenty to complain about.
After doing this for several months, I awoke one morning and realized our venting sessions were doing neither of us any good. It seemed that the more we complained the more we found to complain about. I quickly realized that I either needed to change my work environment or change my reaction to it. Later that same day, I walked into the office of my colleague, and we agreed to put an end to our sessions.
Now and then, every one of us has one of those days when things go wrong: The boss acts like a jerk; the assistant seems to have forgotten that the word “assist” is in his/her title; someone roaming the hallways makes a snarky remark. Vent your frustrations if you must, knowing that if you do so on-line it’s now a protected activity. But recognize that venting rarely solves underlying issues, and it's always bad business etiquette. Instead, affirmatively act to change your workplace or change your attitude towards it.
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