Lewis Maltby, who runs the ACLU's workplace-rights division, says the Constitution's protection of free speech doesn't guarantee employment. Morgan Stanley Dean Witter message board, for example, features profanity-filled battles between Harvard and Oxford graduates. Postings on other workers' sites have been so vicious they've led to libel suits. The electronic illusion of intimacy also poses risks to workers and employers alike. Office gossip that might be safely shared with a co-worker takes on a whole new danger when posted to the public.
Companies have reason to be concerned about such postings.
And Dugan, of New Gate Internet, says he is hired by companies to check out what workers are saying about competitors. At their best, the sites are proving a tremendous boon for job seekers, employees, and even employers. Only with the rise of the Internet have employees been able to raise sufficient hue and cry to force changes, she believes. Some employers are learning to appreciate the electronic water coolers. While it can be painful to read a disgruntled worker's diatribe, Williams likes being able to head off worker concerns before they become serious.