Corporate Noose takes a tug at My Facebook Profile.
Call on Monday Morning…
R: “Hi Muhammad, It’s Renee’… tell me something, are you on facebook?”
M: “Yeah, I am.”
R: “What exactly is your profile picture”
M (confused as to how this is work-related):”Umm…”
R: “Is it a hand grenade?”
M: “Actually, it’s a mic shaped like a hand grenade and its artwork from a band I like. Why?”
R: “Well we have a complaint from a shareholder, he doesn’t think it’s appropriate.”
R: “We have to issue some type of response to him.”
M: “Well tell him I’ll change the profile picture, But Facebook is banned at Unilever anyway, so I’ll have to do it at home.”
R: “Okay, thanks.”
Why did I give in so easily? Facebook is banned at Unilever anyway right? What does a shareholder have against my profile picture on social networking site that has absolutely nothing to do with work, except maybe the “Unilever” network on Facebook.
Well, I just received a couple of lessons in the workplace. Politics, just like family politics, is an absolute bitch if you want to move anywhere, or get anything done. I also just got my second warning for excessive internet Usage (I think the limit is 3 before you get ‘bumped off’). So between a “shareholder” who could probably fuck over my career and changing a profile picture on facebook doesn’t seem like a choice at the moment.
Then again, I should have stood my ground on principle and told him to fuck off. But this isn’t the movies, I got to put food on the table and Rage Against the Machine artwork just wont’ pay for that. The Dillemma sounds too much like something from “Prison Break” though. Unfortunately, I can’t get writer to write me a nice ending, so I can’t take the chance.
So right now, my dillemma is what should I change my profile picture to that will be more subtle, but same sort of message..
hmph. I think it was Immortal Technique who said that when you try and change the system it ends up changing you. This stuff is hitting so close to home.
That’s just fucked up. What you do on your personal profile on a personal network in your own time has nothing to do with a shareholder opinion!
Besides, isn’t Unilever a publicly traded company? Go and buy a share or two and insist that your facebook profile pic includes a Rage pic, after all, you’re a shareholder, and what shareholder wants shareholder gets!!
I can understand why you wouldn’t fight this – reason and money does prevail – but wouldn’t it just be so damn nice to stick it to ‘em and tell ‘em to f off. There’s probably some clause in some manual somewhere about company reputation blah blah.
Oh, crikey, I hope they don’t see this blog post – it’s got the ef word in it!!!
THEY are watching.
but like i said, that’s some hardcore stuff.
how much ground do you have to stand on, when they’re busy chipping at the edges?
Censorship at work over facebook profile pic (Which is banned at work anyway).
Hectic.
hey thats really crazy me i think i would have been my usual rebel self and told them to go fly a kite but then again you right you have a family to support and so on but seriously if that shareholder is on facebook doesnt he realise the open mindedness of it (does that make sense) and wtf is he doing on facebook hmmmm makes me wonder…
hmmmm
That sux, but unfortunately, something which we have to consider once we put elements of our personal lives in the public domain.
I remember an article a while back which talked about blogs and employers / potential employers: how you do risk them finding out things about you which you don’t necessarily want them to know. (Which strengthens the reasons for being anonymous in your blogging – not putting your name on it).
The technology provides a platform for such tremendous networking – but at the same time, like most things, there’s also risks to consider.
It is very tempting to just use sites like Facebook, putting your personal info up – basically laying out a profile of who you are, what you like, etc.
That’s really the point of it, isn’t it?
But the downside is it then becomes very easy for anyone to go and find out about you – which, of course, can be a bad thing when it comes to stalkers, employers, clients, and other people who you wish to keep separate from your personal life.
I can’t say that I really feel sorry for you. The reality is that all workers at major companies such as Unilever make compromises in their lives outside of work. Do you buy different clothes than you normally spend outside of work? Do you have business travel that takes time away from your friends/family? Are there times where you have to come in early and stay late? Look, that’s work and you’re a professional. If you don’t like it, take another job.
Also, I can also see why anyone would be concerned about someone named Mohammed with a GRENADE on his profile. Your co-workers should be scared shitless. I know, I know: “but that’s not fair!” and you’re right, it isn’t. But it’s life. So deal with it.
Corporate paternalism (morality policing) is as old as the modern mega-business. Henry Ford and A.P. Giannini (founder, Bank of America) were notorious.
I suggest that you look into what your rights actually are. Perhaps speaking with an attorney might also be useful. Let’s face it, they have a paper (and electronic) trail. You must document your own actions as well as theirs. [Stay away from your HR people; they're just corporate spies.]
Since everyone must have a Plan B, get yours in place: financial reserves, up-to-date resume … interviews even.
You can be fired at their will. . . without prior notice. You can also resign at your will . . . without prior notice.
Been there, done that more than once . . . it ain’t easy, but it’s good practice.
eye-of-horus
LMAO!!! Well if the share holders do not like “a mic shaped like a hand grenade” the DEFINETLY will not like FUCKOFFUnilever.info, LOL I gotta tell you the truth, when I came accross you post this I fell of my chair, you and I look like twins too….
I am going to read you other posts. L8
Josh
Dude, you’re a fucking tool now get back to work.
Well, first of all, this is the most stupidest request someone can ever request (that sounded weird) anyway… I work for a multinational too, and if someone asked me to do something like that, I would tell them to go do something useful and accuse him/her for being racist, then make sure that I change my profile pic to something even nastier (maybe put a real grenade!!). Of course this depends on how you rank internally especially if you’re good and if they can’t afford to loose you.
Do your homework as eye-of-horus suggested. They cannot fire you because of the pic in your personal profile outside Unilever (but u can get a strike 3 on u’r net browsing and that does it). If they do fire u because of the pic and u can prove it, then you can sue them big time!! and get some good money (depending in which country your are of course) especially on racist grounds because you can clearly see that whomever that Shareholder was, he is judging you because your named Muhammed and have a grenade like pic in your profile (this also proves the IQ level of the shareholder and all those people who think that way) I feel sorrier maybe for those who are named Hitler with those kind of people existing hehehe. If you were Steve or Albert, then no problem. Find out the name of the shareholder and get a dog, shave it’s ass, teach it to walk backward s and name it with the shareholders name. It will help you psychologically.
You should also have a COBP hot line in Unilever (I love networking and did some homework for u) where you can complain about any unfair treatment you get. Give them a call once u’r sure about plan B and see what happens. Make sure you tell them Rene asked you to do so.
Dude, chill, the shareholder story is probably Bullshit!! Get u’r rocker friends together, find this Rene guy outside work and beat the crap out of him for being a racist SOB!! He probably has a Facebook account and has something against you and checked out who from Unilever is on Facebook and being a racist MF, he decided to give u a hard time.
Pick up the phone and call the COBP line (did my homework for u) and report him. They can only fire u for excessive use of Internet, you probably signed something somewhere when u joined. Other than that, speak to a superior and confront this Rene guy and you’ll find out that this is the fact… Good luck, coz unfortunately, we live in a world with morons around thinking that because u r named something, that u are this or that. Good luck to those named Hitler as well..
You are talking too much my friend. I suggest you take a vacation and think your life over.