She could have just said "There is an Apple support document that says..." and never say she was an employee.
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Employee Claims Apple Has Threatened Termination Over Viral TikTok Video
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I'm guessing either someone at Apple didn't realize their direct report was an influencer with 500K+ followers!
(Yes I'd classify someone with 500K followers as as an influencer even if it's not their main source of income.)
OTOH I can see how there could be discomfort with an employee that well known/with that much influence and she's probably at the point where she should have at least brought it up with someone at Apple before. She may also post content that her boss (or someone higher up at Apple) isn't comfortable with (having publicly attached to the company).
There also doesn't seem to be any real reason why she needed to reveal the information to get her point across... But at least with the information out there so far there doesn't seem to be any good reason for firing her...
IMO her following is big enough there's only two ways this goes:
1. Apple folds like a cheap suit and relents (maybe even privately apologizes and disciplines her manager)
2. Apple stays the course and she leaves the company (albeit likely an "amicable" parting facilitated by some sort of compensation to keep her quiet)
The really unfortunate thing this demonstrates is the lack of clarity, transparency, and regulation around how work is allowed to dictate how you approach social media. This isn't to say you shouldn't be able to be held accountable for what you say online when you've chosen to link your online profile to the company you work for, but there needs to be clear rules. Her following is big enough she'll probably be fine either way but someone else not so much.
(Yes I'd classify someone with 500K followers as as an influencer even if it's not their main source of income.)
OTOH I can see how there could be discomfort with an employee that well known/with that much influence and she's probably at the point where she should have at least brought it up with someone at Apple before. She may also post content that her boss (or someone higher up at Apple) isn't comfortable with (having publicly attached to the company).
There also doesn't seem to be any real reason why she needed to reveal the information to get her point across... But at least with the information out there so far there doesn't seem to be any good reason for firing her...
IMO her following is big enough there's only two ways this goes:
1. Apple folds like a cheap suit and relents (maybe even privately apologizes and disciplines her manager)
2. Apple stays the course and she leaves the company (albeit likely an "amicable" parting facilitated by some sort of compensation to keep her quiet)
The really unfortunate thing this demonstrates is the lack of clarity, transparency, and regulation around how work is allowed to dictate how you approach social media. This isn't to say you shouldn't be able to be held accountable for what you say online when you've chosen to link your online profile to the company you work for, but there needs to be clear rules. Her following is big enough she'll probably be fine either way but someone else not so much.
Why email? Just start a digital avalanche a.k.a. 💩⛈️ it’s much easier, but I’m not that evil, because it could lead to unemployed 🍎 guys. In just 5mins I’ve found 7 candidates for 🔥 on twitter.
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I only self-censored to avoid the circumstance where macrumors would do it for me and block my post or something. As you can maybe see, I don't post here often. The Apple watch 8 stuff has drawn me out from hiding.
Have a blessed day, also-Mike. 👍
Posting a helpful hint , as we all do in this forum is great. However when you take it to tik tok and make it known that you work for Apple as an engineer it makes it sound like it’s in an official capacity and there’s where company policy comes into play
Now the person that did this has to ask herself was it worth it
Now the person that did this has to ask herself was it worth it
It is crazy for a company like Apple to treat employees who are famous on social media this way. No matter what happened behind the scenes, Apple makes the impression to all her followers of a arrogant, stupid company. Before firing a celebrity You should think twice.
It is standard across the world.
Don’t represent your employer or employment outside your work hours without permission of your employer.
This person was trying to be helpful but too young to understand the basics.
If one person breaks the contract then others start breaking it for so many companies.
Then people start doing dumb ****.
Stick to the terms of your employment.
Don’t rep your employer on social media without permission.
Don’t represent your employer or employment outside your work hours without permission of your employer.
This person was trying to be helpful but too young to understand the basics.
If one person breaks the contract then others start breaking it for so many companies.
Then people start doing dumb ****.
Stick to the terms of your employment.
Don’t rep your employer on social media without permission.
No it’s not.
It’s standard. Every company has a contract that states you cannot and should not represented the employer outside work hours without permission.
It’s really not hard to understand.
Even small businesses have these kind of contracts.
If you run a business you would do the same thing.
If you had any sense.
Otherwise your employees can say stupid **** or wrong advice that causes problems.
It would appear Apple has forgotten the Ethos upon which it was resurrected 25 years ago…
Here’s to the Crazy Ones
Here’s to the Crazy Ones
We can debate the innocence of her post all day, but It really boils down to what activities her employment agreement with Apple covers that matters as far as her keeping her job. I have worked for companies that had agreements that forbid making public statements about the company or its products without prior authorization. Nowhere did they specify that positive comments were exempt.
Bingo.
One can’t pose as an employee for a company acting like their advice is legitimately sanctioned by the company (unless you are hired to do so).
The viewers will think the advice is the official position of the company because they happen to be an employee.
Everything is great until the company gets sued by some viewers claiming that one of their employees gave them some advice on TikTok.
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Anybody considered maybe it is that specific manager is the problem, not the employee and not the company?
Mentioning the fact that one is Apple employee is not the same as "representing your employer". Are people prohibited from revealing their employment or something?
It’s usually part of employment contracts..
You can’t represent yourself in way that can confuse your audience thinking you represent your company in some capacity which you don’t (especially if it puts them at risk)
So giving fashion advice on TikTok and somehow letting it leak that you work for Apple as a janitor.,, is different than saying you work for Apple as an engineer and here’s some technical advice. The later will get you reprimanded by your employer.
And then speaking out in public about it and giving your side of the story, etc, etc probably won’t make them like you… who knows what happens
I suspect the manager is having a bad week for not handling this more deftly.
I read in OP that they did.
Probably without permission.
There are employees on Twitter working for all the companies including Apple who are happily talking about many things but they probably asked permission and if they give advice to customers they must ask a manager to vet the post first.
Like what? Seriously, this sounds EXACTLY like the garbage that happens when large companies with big legal departments get wind of anyone saying or doing anything that they didn't officially sanction first, while identifying themselves as working for the place.
What she did was simply providing good, solid advice on handling security for a stolen i-Device. If she'd just left out that one comment about working for a company that likes to talk about fruit, they probably wouldn't even have a leg to stand on to threaten her over this.
Unfortunately, she's right. The "old Apple" would have reviewed such a thing in context and decided it was accurate information and helpful information, and did the company no harm. The "new Apple" is no longer the dream of a couple of computer geeks (Jobs and Woz), and is a fully established corporate giant.
IMO, this is really no different than things like Paramount going after Star Trek fans for making fan-fiction based on the original TV series and movies. It's clearly only helping boost popularity of their intellectual property and does no harm to the original works. Yet their legal team can't stand the fact, "Someone referenced it without our written permission!"
boom. don't bite the hand that feeds you. too many young folks didn't learn things that earlier generations called 'common sense'. I don't wish negativity on anyone, but have a feeling a lot of people in that generation will get a wakeup call sooner or later in their lives when things get less than prosperous.
You renew my faith in these forums. Second post here actually contains common sense that the article's author and the first poster above you did not. Tip of the hat.
It's not obvious to everyone. Especially the non tech savvy. People also panic and do stupid things.