How Making A Viral Video Can Cost You Your Job

It’s all fun and games until somebody loses their job. You may think that you are going to attract attention to yourself by participating in the latest viral video craze, whether it be the “Harlem Shake,” “Call Me Maybe,””Gangnam Style,” or a viral video idea of your own. But what happens if you lose your job over it? That is what happens more and more these days.

Sometimes you need to think before you make a video, and consider the repercussions. Here are a few examples of those who did not think first:

Chick-Fil-A Video

Adam Smith wasn’t a young kid when he decided to make a viral video. He was the chief financial officer of Vante, Inc., a company that makes catheters. The Tucson-based man was outraged over restaurant chain Chick-Fil-A’s support of traditional marriage, so he decided to confront a staffer over it. Only thing is, people ended up being outraged not a Chick-Fil-A, but the way he berated an innocent employee who had nothing to do with the company’s stance.

Smith told the cashier, “Chick-fil-A is a hateful company,” and added, “I don’t know how you sleep at night. This is a horrible corporation with horrible values.”

Vante ended up firing Smith, with the company saying that “We hope that the general population does not hold Mr. Smith’s actions against Vante and its employees.”

Harlem Shake Video

Fifteen Australian miners were recently fired for doing the “Harlem Shake.” The miners, who worked for the Barminco company at the Agnew Mine in Australia, lost their jobs after the video of the dance went public. The Harlem Shake phenomenon consists of one dancer with a mask on dancing by himself to the Baauer song, with the rest of the group joining in causing a wild scene.

Gold Fields, the company that owns Barminco, said in a statement that “underground mining has strict safety standards as there are accidents and fatalities.” The company said that “the Barminco management saw this as a breach of standards.”

Gangnam Style Video

While multiple people have lost their jobs for doing viral videos, sometimes the person or people involved can get their jobs back. That is what happened in El Monte, California, when the fourteen lifeguards who were fired for doing a parody of the PSY song got their jobs back. The lifeguards contended that while they did wear city-issued swimsuits, the video was filmed off the clock when they were not working. However, there is still an ongoing investigation as to how the video occurred.

A Career Coach Can Give You the Pros And Cons Of Doing Such Videos

In summary, before you decide to get involved with the latest online craze or make a political point with a video, you might want to talk it through with a career coach or trusted advisor about the issue. To learn more on what a career coach does, click here.