Blogger Beware: A Few Things You Should Know Before Blogging about Work

Sometimes, the best remedy for a stressful day is venting to someone who will listen. The simple act of verbalizing our troubles and releasing them into the universe is often enough to lessen their magnitude and take their weight from our shoulders.

For millions of people, blogging has become a great way to do just that. A personal blog is the perfect platform to share the success, struggle and stress of your life. Yet even though your job may be a big part of your life -- and therefore may seem like natural fodder for a blog post -- there are definitely some major dos and don'ts when it comes to blogging about your job.

Here is a mix of both legal and practical advice to help you keep your blog without losing your job.

Assume your colleagues are your biggest fans

While it may be your dream to have a huge blog following, the reality is that the more people who read your blog, the more wary you need to be about what you say about your job.

For safety's sake, the best bet for those wishing to blog about work is to make a blanket assumption that you've reached that critical mass of your wildest dreams, and that the whole world -- including everyone in your office -- is a loyal subscriber to you blog. In other words, if you wouldn't want your CEO to know how lame you thought the holiday party was, then it's probably best not to blog about it, because you just never know who's watching you.

"Remember the Internet is a public bulletin board," says Michelle Gamble-Risley, co-author of "Smash: A Smart Girls Guide to Practical Marketing and PR." "It would not be prudent to say anything bad about your place of business in this kind of forum -- that is just good sense. If you defame or slander your company you could expect the same negative outcome you would encounter if you did it to the CEO's face."

Forget what you know about the First Amendment

If you think your blog is protected under your right to "freedom of speech," then we may have some news for you. If you don't work for the government, then you checked your First Amendment rights at the door as soon as you accepted your employment offer.

"There is no constitutional protection of free speech with private companies," says Donna Ballman, an employment attorney with nearly 25 years' experience. "You can be fired for what you write in your blog -- or because they didn't like your shoes that day -- in most states unless you have a contract saying otherwise. Most employees are shocked that they have no First Amendment protections at work."

And yes, writing about work -- even when you're not at work -- still counts.

Don't use your work computer

You're probably thinking "Duh!" But still. It's important to emphasize that, no matter how bored you are at work, or how close you are with the IT guy, your office computer is property of your company, and therefore, they have access to, and a right to investigate, anything you do or say while on said computer.

"Many employers prohibit personal use of their computers," Ballman says. "So do your blogging, online shopping [and checking] Facebook and Twitter on your home computer. [Even if] someone posts a pornographic comment or link on your blog and you click on it, you can be fired."

Maintain confidentiality

If you can't help yourself from blogging about your job, at least do it vaguely. Don't use the names of your colleagues or company, and try not to use identifying details.

Most importantly, though, make sure that you don't break any confidentiality agreements with your company or any clients or customers you work for. Many times, a company's employees are privy to financial information or trade secrets that may not be public information. Since you're immersed in your job, you may take for granted how much you really do know about your company or industry, so be extra discretionary when posting.

Additionally, while things like resignations, promotions or new hires, retaining of a new advertising or graphic design firm, etc., may not seem like a big deal, your company may have its own plans to make the announcement. Revealing company information on your blog could mean serious embarrassment, termination or even a lawsuit.

Bottom line: When in doubt, leave it out.

Kaitlin Madden is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, The Work Buzz. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues. Follow @CBForJobSeekers on Twitter.