Blogger Ethics: Blogging at the Workplace

Fritz analyzes the story of Matt Barber, who lost his job with Allstate Insurance "after penning online essays, which proudly validated his white Christian male heritage while trashing gay marriage supporters." Groups such as Focus on the Family have come to Mr. Barber's defense, and Lutheran Church Charities has set up a fund to help the Barber family with financial difficulties they face in the wake of the firing. (I should add that Barber was making a six-figure salary, so forgive my being wary of charity funds being given to him and his family.)

Though I take issue with Barber's opinions, I feel obligated to defend his right to express them. But, as Fritz points out, Allstate officially let go of Barber because he "was using company resources on company time to dabble as an online conservative columnist." Barber's affiliation with Allstate was also mentioned in the bio included with an especially vitriolic anti-gay column.

Then again, many people blog or participate in other Internet-related activity on company time without being disciplined. I'll admit that I've done some blogging at work, though I rarely do so anymore. I decided a few months ago that office blogging and other extracurricular web surfing was a distraction from my work that I should eliminate. I also make every effort to keep my day job separate from my website, my radio show, and any articles I write that are not related to my day job.

I will say, however, that I work for The United Methodist Church and that, despite my love for the UMC, I sometimes openly disagree with the church's decisions and teachings. For me, the trick is to openly disagree with the church without seeming to do so on behalf of the church. Then again, no one should get the impression that The United Methodist Church would let a goober like me make statements on behalf of the entire denomination. (Bishops with far more influence than I will ever have used their episcopal status to defy church teaching, so anything I write on this blog is pretty inconsequential.)

When I started working on this post, I thought I had a point, but I'm not getting any closer to making one. So try not to blog at work; and if you want to say something controversial, keep your employer out of it. Finally (and I mean no offense to the Barber family), don't donate money to people who, until recently, were making six figures; they're doing OK.