When is it OK to badmouth your employer? Here are some suggestions -

• On your Facebook page – it’s your own private place after all and everybody is entitled to a private life
• In the bar – loudly – at the end of a stressful week because offloading is healthy!
• In an interview with a potential new employer – they need to know why you are so keen to join them.
• With a colleague in the lift on the way to your desk – they will know where you are coming from!
• When you have moved to another employer – it doesn’t matter any more does it?

Let’s  be clear here – it is never, ever OK to badmouth your employer to other people ( significant others in the privacy of your own home excluded).

If a situation at work is bothering you the person you should be talking to about that is your boss. Now we all know that in the real world some bosses are better than others. It would be wonderful if  there were more that followed what Steve Roesler advises in this excellent post where he says  ”If you take time to ask people what they’re looking for, they will tell you. And that makes your job a whole lot easier.” But still  – if you don’t raise your concersn with your boss how can anything even begin to change?

The  next time you are about to tell the world and it’s auntie how truly awful your employer is think about how it reflects on you.

• does the fact that you disagree with something mean you should broadcast that to the world on you social networks ( where it stays for a Very. Long .Time.)
• because your guard is down after a couple of beers does not mean that everyone is quite so – ahem – relaxed
• a potential employer might rate loyalty very highly in an employee  – which is exactly what you are demonstrating  – yes?
• your colleague might just need you to work closely with them  and to be able to do that they need to be able to trust you – but are they now wondering what will you say about them behind their back?
• so you moved into a new job and left all that behind until it turns out the new boss hired in to manage your department comes from – wait for it – your old employer. It happens!

Here’s a suggestion – instead of saying  ”my boss is an idiot” – try turning it into “I don’t understand what my boss is trying to do..” and see where it goes from there.

Would really love your thoughts on this one!