When work and social life clash.

I’m not talking about when your social life is just too busy to include work – or when you are too busy checking facebook and answering personal emails at work that you have no time to do your own actual work ..

When does the rights of your personal life interfere with that of work? How much control aught your work and employer have over what you do and how you conduct yourself in your personal and private times?

Thinking of extremes, perhaps a religious (i.e priesthood), early childhood or educational worker ( teachers etc) aught not have a public second business in pole dancing or S& M services – however, once you have clocked off from work – what right does your employer have on what you do and where you go in your social life?

I understand that there is a n element of trust in certain roles and jobs. In the not too distant past teachers had a code of conduct to adhere to – not being seen in bars and hotels and the like. Women had to leave when they fell pregnant and or got married in many jobs.

I also have seen the fall out when people talk a little too lossly on their blogs – so it pays to be careful about what you write on your blog – There are all sorts of searches when you go for a new job – often the interviewer will check your facebook and blogspaces – If they don’t like what you write – or have an issue with they way you present your self –then it can affect the outcome of that interview. (rightly or wrongly) It would be naïve to think that employers don’t look at what you are up to and the photos within the public space.

Anyways- what is on MY goat is that my brother – a hard working normal bloke within the construction industry has just been booted from the company he has been with for 13 years. He is a foreman and has loved his job and traveled all over to be with the same group. Officially his separation certificate states that there was a downturn of work - however as coincidence would have it…… this is what happened.

I am not hiding the fact he likes to have a few parties at his rented house. He makes them big and loud and lots of people are invited. He is s wicked cocktail maker and likes to have costume parties and lots of fun. The local police know him… and Saturday night goes something like this…. 11 pm – they turn up – knock on the door and he will turn the music down – they wave and all is fine. Sometimes the neighbors will put a note in the letterbox with a returned beer bottle or piece of pizza that had been thrown over the fence accompanied with a ‘cleaning bill” of $50 - $100 –which he just pays to keep them happy.

Last Sat night was no different. However on Monday – he was hauled into the main office and put on speaker phone to the State Manager – who then ripped shreds off him about being irresponsible and putting the company in disrepute. Then on Friday he gets the separation slip and told not to come back on Monday – to hand in his mobile, keys and ute asap. Nice.

So – what place does the social life reflect on a companys image – when that party is in out of office or work hours? Has it got so crazy that you can’t socialise with workmates? Seems to me the State Manager has been tipped over the coals by someone else – and its all just a big political thing – who knows….