Continuing yesterday’s discussion on social media in the workplace, a recent dispatch from the “What was he thinking?” department: When a fashion house CFO vented his workplace frustrations on his social media outlets, he forgot that it wasn’t just his friends who could see them.

According to The Wall Street Journal and other media outlets, Gene Morphis, chief financial officer of Francesca’s Holdings, used his blog “Morph’s View” and his Facebook and Twitter accounts to make some comments about company business and personnel that might better have been left unposted.

The wsj.com article says Morphis had tweeted “Dinner with board tonight. Used to be fun. Now must be on guard every second” and posted “Earnings released. Conference call completed. How do you like me now Mr. Shorty?” on Facebook.

Social media, employee leaves, and more: Don’t miss the 2012 California Employment Law Update conference. More info here.

These postings were ill-advised at best. But when he posted after an initial public offering, “Sold $275 million of secondary shares. Earned my pay this week,” it triggered an internal investigation by outside counsel for the publicly held company.

Morphis was fired for cause, with the company issuing a statement that Morphis had “improperly communicated company information through social media.”

Looks like social media caused this CFO to morph from the runway to the unemployment line.

California Employment Law Update: The Only Employment Law Conference You Need

From social media to terminations to intermittent leave and accommodations, there’s a lot for you to stay up on as an HR professional. And the fact that you work in California makes everything just that much more complicated.

Don’t get caught short. Join us this fall for the 7th Annual California Employment Law Update conference in Berkeley.

This acclaimed annual event, specifically designed for California employers, delivers rock-solid, bottom-line value with practical guidance for overcoming the latest HR challenges in California.

Join us and learn the latest on …

EMPLOYMENT LAW ENFORCEMENT
The EEOC is ramping up, requesting for 2012 an $18 million budget increase over 2011 and slots for 30 new investigators. And California is stepping up its enforcement game, too. What can you as a California employer expect from this new spotlight on the state and federal antibias laws? An uptick in claims of disability bias, age bias, bias on the basis of genetic information, and more. It’s time to get prepared.

• Equal Employment: Learn how to protect yourself from litigious employees and zealous government investigators.
• NLRB: Get up to speed on the NLRB’s latest pro-union initiatives—and learn how to stay off its radar.
• Wage/hour: Avoid the most common—and costly—employee misclassification errors that can destroy your reputation and your bottom line.
• OFCCP: Don’t get caught in a costly spot inspection—we’ll explain how to stay out of trouble. 

FMLA/CFRA & ADA COMPLIANCE
The new ADAAA regulations have dramatically changed the face of FMLA—now, because so many more people with “serious health conditions” are also considered to have a “disability” under the ADAAA, the 12-week cap on FMLA leave may be turning into a thing of the past in many cases. And, of course, the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) already gives employees heightened protections. How to legally accommodate your employees and keep your business running smoothly these days?

• Get up-to-the-minute guidance on complying with both the ADAAA and FMLA/CFRA—including recent court cases interpreting the intersection of the two types of leave.
• Learn how to ensure your documentation on employee leaves is complete and correct.
• Discover how to properly manage obesity, mental disability, substance abuse, and more under both the ADAAA and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA).
• Find out why disability discrimination claims have spiked recently—and, even more importantly, how to avoid becoming part of this trend. 

SOCIAL MEDIA
You may or may not be on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, and so on. But your employees are—and their social media habits could be costing you big in lost productivity. They could even be setting you up for a damaging lawsuit, depending on what they’re saying and how far they’re spreading the word. You won’t want to miss our up-to-the-minute social media session, where you’ll learn:

• Why you absolutely must have a social media policy—and what should be in it
• How social media can be HR’s best friend or worst enemy, depending on how you manage it
• The fine line between monitoring your employees’ social media usage and overstepping the considerable privacy protections they enjoy under California law
• How social media can help you avoid a bad hiring decision, which can cost twice an exiting employee’s salary 

HIRING & RETENTION
As the economy finally—finally!— gets back on its feet, it’s time to shift the focus from survive to thrive. Learn how to keep your superstars and find the next crop of incredible talent, while keeping employees at all levels engaged and involved in your business.

• Will 2012 be the Year of the Employee Backlash? Could be, says Forbes. How to protect your workplace from demotivation and ship-jumping.
• How to find—and land—the best and brightest, and encourage them to stay with you for the long haul.
• Effective tips for handling compensation increases after years of flatlining (or even salary decreases, in some cases).
• Strategies for avoiding candidates who are exceptional interviewees but sub-par employees.      
• Practical tips for developing talent from within.  

And much more!

You’ll earn up to 15.5 hours of California-specific HRCI recertification credit, and MCLE credit is also available.

It’s an unbeatable deal—click here for all the details. We hope to see you there. But don’t delay—the clock is ticking, so claim your spot now!

Download your free copy of Training Your New Supervisors: 11 Practical Lessons today!