Blogging about your job can lead to firing

The CIA recently axed contractor Christine Axsmith for posting inappropriate content on a blog for readers with top-secret security clearances. But you don’t need to handle secrets to lose your job for something you write on a blog.

Although workers have a free-speech right to blog about their jobs on their own time, managers in at-will employment states such as Washington can terminate them for doing so.

“Hundreds, possibly even thousands, of people have been fired for blogging on personal home computers,” estimates Nancy Flynn, executive director of the ePolicy Institute and author of “Blog Rules” (Amacom). “You need to protect yourself by finding out what you are prohibited from saying and what type of content you need to steer clear from.”

For instance, the CIA’s internal-blog policy states that “postings should relate directly to the official business of the author and readers of the site, and that managers should be informed of online projects that use government resources,” an agency spokesman told the Washington Post after Axsmith was fired for sharing her opinions on torture.

Unfortunately, fewer than 10 percent of U.S. employers have issued formal blog rules, according to a recent ePolicy Institute survey of 416 companies.

“Employers should follow the three E’s: Establish a written policy on blogging, educate the work force, and then enforce the policy with disciplinary action and technology tools that help them manage content created in the workplace,” Flynn suggests.

A blog policy might prohibit employees from disparaging the company or posting sensitive information. It also could require disclaimers stating the blogger is not speaking on behalf of the organization.

The key is to clearly communicate blog rules so employees don’t accidentally cross the line, Flynn says. She also advises companies to review all postings and comments on official blogs before allowing them to go live – and to retain blog content for as long as other written records are kept.

“Make sure you’re not posting any content that will get you on the wrong side of a lawsuit,” Flynn says. “Blog posts create electronic business records. They can be subpoenaed and used in court. It’s a fairy tale the blogosphere has perpetuated that blog content can be posted outside the realm of normal best practices.”

Blogging hasn’t emerged as a big issue for most Spokane-area employers.

But some local organizations have issued blog rules. Employees of Community Colleges of Spokane can’t post to personal blogs from work. Although no policy specifically covers what they write from home, “Someone blogging on his or her own time needs to be conscious of our policies governing harassment, discrimination and other issues,” said Anne Tucker, CCS public information officer.

At Fairchild Air Force Base, employees cannot post to personal blogs while on duty. They also face restrictions on what they write on their own time, said Lt. Col. Christopher Petras, staff judge advocate at the base.

Air Force personnel must “avoid any appearance that the content represents an official position of, or is endorsed by, the government,” Petras said. “Just saying you’re in the military wouldn’t cause a problem. But saying, ‘I’m Capt. Smith, director of operations, and here is my view of how aircraft should be used’ ” could get someone into hot water.

In addition, personnel must obtain clearance from the public information office before posting information picked up on the job. “It’s an awareness issue,” Petras said. “Before you write something, think of what it says about you or the military.”

That’s advice all employees might do well to consider before blogging about their jobs.