The story of Delta Airlines employee and blogger Ellen Simonetti, who’s been fired, is now a global story following a report today on BBC News.
First reported on the blogosphere earlier this month by, among others, Steve Rubel, the story concerns a post on Ellen’s blog Queen of the Sky which included a photo of her in her Delta uniform. This apparently contravened policy and the airline fired her for posting the photo.
What’s interesting about today’s BBC report is how this issue brings into sharp focus the need for organizations to be wholly clear about employees blogging. I’ve posted commentary about this before:
From an organizational point of view, it’s far better to embrace blogs within the overall communication framework and make it wholly clear what the parameters are. It’s about managing potential risks for both the company and the employee.
As Ellen says, quoted in the BBC report:
This blogging thing is obviously a new problem for employers and they need to get a policy about it. If I had known it would cost me my job, I would not have done that.
BBC News | Technology | Blogger grounded by her airline
Related issue: Friendster employee fired for blogging.
Follow-up: Delta fires Queen of the Sky
I reported on October 6/url] on a Micropersuasion entry about a Delta Airlines flight attendant who was suspended for appearing in a photo on her blog wearing her uniform. Today,