When your boss joins FaceBook...

[WDWBarb]

And sends you a friend invitation ... what do you do??

This hasn't happened to me but to several friends of mine (I guess the holidays are the time to join FB!).

Their boss is the "be my friend" type but has a hard time separating personal from work. They know he'll be mad if they don't accept the invite but they also want to keep their personal lives personal.

What do you do? Is there any way to come out of that situation A-OK?

 

[Melrosgirl]

Is his name Michael Scott?

Personally, I didn't create a facebook account bc of stuff like this. I just don't understand why everyone needs to know what I'm doing, etc.

 

[Loverly]

My 20 something kids refuse to be "my friend" also

Really-its a social thing for young people & grownups and bosses need to "butt out" ...IMO

 

[Pop Daddy]

your trapped now, you night even have to have an affair with him

 

[Melrosgirl]

My 20 something kids refuse to be "my friend" also

Really-its a social thing for young people & grownups and bosses need to "butt out" ...IMO

What age is considered "young people?" I think facebook is for people under 30. If you are over 30, I don't understand why you'd be interested unless you still live in your parents' basement. (LOL...I know thousands of Dis'ers over 30 are on facebook and I am prepared to get yelled at.)

 

[Tigger&Belle]

What age is considered "young people?" I think facebook is for people under 30. If you are over 30, I don't understand why you'd be interested unless you still live in your parents' basement. (LOL...I know thousands of Dis'ers over 30 are on facebook and I am prepared to get yelled at.)

I just celebrated the 9th anniversary of my 39th birthday and yes, I have facebook. No real good reason, other than someone invited me to join. It's a fun diversion, but I don't keep mine too current. My kids, age 15, 18, and 21 did accept my friend invitation. I'm back in college and lots of the college kids have friended me, which is a hoot. They seem to think I'm cool to be as old as what I am and understand technology enough to have facebook.


The issue that the OP has brought up is a hot topic. Not just concerning facebook, but any public forum someone posts on that could be accessed by an employer or potential employer. I don't think I would accept the friend request from a boss. Too murky. I also would be careful what information and pictures I was posting on facebook/myspace.

 

[pr surfer]

clean up your profile and add him under the most restrictive setting possible, short of blocking in

 

[WDWBarb]

What age is considered "young people?" I think facebook is for people under 30. If you are over 30, I don't understand why you'd be interested unless you still live in your parents' basement. (LOL...I know thousands of Dis'ers over 30 are on facebook and I am prepared to get yelled at.)

LOL - I am, indeed, thirty-something and have a FaceBook. What I love about it is all the dear old friends I have found on there! Even my father just joined.

I've been able to get in touch with people that I thought I'd lost track of forever. FaceBook is wonderful

 

[Mrs. Nesbit]

both of my parents (in their forties) and my grandmother have facebooks. my mom probably has only 30 friends, so i always ask her why she has one in the first place. my mom says she uses it to catch up with high school and college friends, and my dad uses it for business networking. lord only knows what my 80 y.o. granny is doing on a social networking website...

 

[Teresa Pitman]

Why do you say facebook is only for people under 30? There are many ways to use facebook, you know. I'm WAY over 30 and I've been on facebook for a while now. My grown kids all post photos there (and I can then copy the ones I'd like to keep onto my computer), I play word games with my kids and my friends, I get invites to plays and other events my friends and families are involved in, etc. When one of my sons went on a trip to Europe, he'd update us on his travels by posting photos and notes. I have friends and relatives all around the world so this is an easy way for us to stay in touch. Nothing age-restricted about that.

If my boss wanted to be my friend, I'd say yes. I don't have anything on my pages that I'd be embarrassed about.

Teresa

 

[marshallandcartersmo]

LOL - I am, indeed, thirty-something and have a FaceBook. What I love about it is all the dear old friends I have found on there! Even my father just joined.

I've been able to get in touch with people that I thought I'd lost track of forever. FaceBook is wonderful

That's me!! 36 and have Facebook. It's great!! I have found so many old friends from High School and College......

I totally realized I'm in the minority on there, most people are under 25, but it's fun to catch up with old friends.

 

[LoraJ]

This happened to me (and I am pushing 40). My boss kept showing up in the "people you may know" section but I never selected her. But one day she added me. I was conflicted, but ended up adding her.

You can set privacy settings for different people, so if I wanted to, I could make it so that she can not see my status. So then I can freely whine about work. I haven't done that yet though.

My in-laws are even on facebook. It really is a great place to keep in touch with relatives and old friends. I have been reunited with friends I haven't talked to in over 20 years. So, for those who poo poo it because they think they are too old, you're missing out.

 

[ckret01]

I am 35 and my husband is 40 and we both have Facebook. I have re-connected with highschool friends from many many years ago. It is so nice to see how well they and their families are doing and catch up on all these years.

 

[LJC1861]

I am 40+ and have a Facebook page...and I LOVE it.

It has been a great way to keep in touch with my family...which is quite large and spread up and down the east coast. I have also been able to reconnect with old and dear friends from high school and college.

My best friend and I have been playing tons of word games, and it has been really fun to see who is winning at any given time.

I think that Facebook has helped me be closer to my extended family....I now "chat" with my sister and nieces almost every day via facebook.

Good clean fun, as far as I am concerned. We are even going to get my Mom set up this weekend so she can keep in touch with her grandkids and their comings and goings.

Linda

 

[daisax]

If you're using it to air your dirty laundry in public, then you need to be careful who can see it. If you're not, who cares?

 

[golfgal]

I agree, put the boss on restrictive settings. I am over 30 and use Facebook for business networking and keeping in touch with friends.

 

[Barb D]

I'm 47, and my 50yo brother and I have a vicious Facebook Scrabble game going at all times. Sibling rivalry still lives.

I also use it to chat with people, keep up on the lives of my nieces and nephews, etc. My mom and some of my aunts are on it, too. And they're all in their 60s and 70s.

 

[Stacerita]

I wouldn't accept or deny the friend request. I would just leave it in limbo and act like I never got it.

 

[Camicar]

From hard-won experience with a boss who insisted upon crossing boundaries and then used the 'private' informatin to screw me over BIG TIME, I would not answer the request. If my boss brought it up, I would tell him/her, "From experience, I make it a practice not to cross those type of boundaries." And that would be my last word on the topic. There is NO way I'd allow my boss to be my Facebook friend and I'd be extraordinarily restrictive with ANYONE I knew professionally having any access to my private life.

Sometimes, I've learned, I'm not paranoid, they are out to get me. Not only my boss, but I had an internet stalker at one point. Therefore, there is nothing on the internet with my real name on it.

 

[Mickeyistheman]

I am 30 and a few months ago joined Facebook and I have connected with many friends from Highschool. It is also a great way to network as well. It's not just for young people. Oh and by the way I think 30 is still young!

In regards to the OP, if you boss brings it up, in a very nice way I would say that you would like to keep things professional and having him on Facebook would not be very ethical. If you don't want to do that and you do confirm him/her I would put them on the most restrictive setting.

I agree with a PP, they can use that as amuniation against you.

Good Luck.