The Blue Cats store: https://shop.thebluecats.com.sg Advertising enquiries: https://advertise.thebluecats.com.sg Under Singapore employment law, there are two main ways an employer can end someone's employment. The first is termination with notice, which either party can initiate. If the contract specifies a notice period, the terminating party must serve it or pay in lieu of notice. Employers are not required to give a reason when terminating with notice, and employees likewise do not need to give a reason when resigning, although a dismissed employee can still file a wrongful dismissal claim. Warning letters are not a legal requirement; companies issue them mainly to keep a record in case a wrongful dismissal claim arises. This is why, technically, it is possible for a company to dismiss you for a social media post, since they are not needed to provide a reason. But companies can dismiss you immediately, too. The second way is dismissal without notice, and under the Tripartite Guidelines on Wrongful Dismissal, misconduct is the only legitimate reason for it. MOM describes misconduct as failing to fulfil the conditions of one's contract of service, with examples such as theft, dishonesty and insubordination. The Tripartite Guidelines also list disorderly conduct at work and bringing the organisation into disrepute, which means a social media post made outside of work can become an employment issue. B Nevertheless, before dismissing someone for misconduct, the employer must conduct an inquiry, inform the employee of the allegations and give them a chance to explain, and the employer bears the burden of proving the misconduct. But has it happened before? Yes, there are Singapore precedents. In 2015, Tan Tock Seng Hospital dismissed a nurse after investigating offensive online comments he made about Singaporeans, race and religion, saying his conduct went against its staff values, and the Ministry of Health said the posts were incompatible with the standards expected of hospital employees. In 2014, British expatriate Anton Casey drew widespread criticism for calling public transport commuters "poor people" online, after which his company announced it had parted ways with him, a separation reported as mutual rather than a firing. In other words, it’s time to police your own social media posts, because it could, indeed, get you fired.