The Wendy Bell debacle: Employers need clear, consistent social-media policies; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 6/24/16

Beverly A. Block, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; The Wendy Bell debacle: Employers need clear, consistent social-media policies:

"A lot of the commentary surrounding Ms. Bell’s Facebook post suggests that she had a First Amendment right to speak her mind about the Wilkinsburg shootings. Yes, but protections afforded by the First Amendment are not absolute and, generally speaking, do not apply to private employers such as WTAE and Hearst.

Many employers have a legitimate interest in regulating their employees’ speech to promote harmony, respect and the effective functioning of the business. That said, when rules are not precise, clearly communicated and uniformly applied, even the most sophisticated company or revered professional can end up facing severe consequences. Ambiguity can do a lot of damage."