Online Compliments Can Haunt You, Too
Let no good deed go unpunished.
Mom may have told you not to say anything if you can’t say something nice. A lawyer who represents companies in human-relations cases said you better not say anything nice either–at least not on LinkedIn or other social-networking sites.
Shay Hable, an attorney in the Atlanta office of Bryan Cave, said she has been telling corporate clients to remind employees they shouldn’t give laid-off colleagues a plug in these online venues, because it might come back to haunt the company.
One of the first things many laid-off workers have been doing during this recession is to update their profiles on LinkedIn, a widely used San Francisco-based social network that promotes professional relationship building. One of its features is “Get recommended” where the workers can click an online button and “Have colleagues, clients, teachers, and partners speak up for you.”