Workplace deviant behavior can be defined as behavior that violates significant organization standards. It is seen as threatening to the well-being of the organization and its members (Bennett & Robinson, 2000).  This type of behavior could include bullying, hate speech, loafing, constant negative attitude, as well as many others.  Cyber technology has greatly increased the opportunities for workplace deviance, especially through social media.  Employees can even face repercussions for social media activity that happens at home, away from the workplace.

“On March 4, 2021, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit affirmed a decision of the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania which ruled in Ellis v. Bank of New York Mellon Corp. that an employee could be discharged by her employer based on her social media posts” (Nussbaum, 2021). The employee violated the Social Media Policy of the employer by advocating violence towards protesters.

With the prevalence of TikTok and other social media platforms, employees can cause workplace deviance by viewing content that is not safe for work.  For instance, two employees could be watching a video with foul language and not even realize that another coworker could be nearby and overhear.  This could cause other coworkers to become uncomfortable, or even not feel safe, depending on the type of social media being viewed.

Bennett, R. J., & Robinson, S. L. (2000). Development of a measure of workplace deviance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 85(3), 349–360. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.85.3.349

Nussbaum, R. (2021, May 5). Court upholds employee’s termination for violating employer’s Social Media Policy. Trending Law Blog. Retrieved March 27, 2022, from https://trendinglawblog.com/2021/05/05/court-upholds-employees-termination-for-violating-employers-social-media-policy/