College Student Reprimanded By Her Boss After Posting A Bikini Photo On Social Media
Why was he looking in the first place?
Olelole from Getty Images | Canva Pro A college student admitted that she received an unnerving message from her boss pertaining to a photo she'd posted of herself on her personal social media page. Turning to Reddit for advice, the 21-year-old woman claimed that her boss was distraught because she had posted photos of herself in a bikini during a family beach trip, and he demanded that the two have a meeting to discuss it, much to her confusion.
His main argument was that it reflected badly on his business. Since when did a woman in a bathing suit become scandalous, and more importantly, why is he scrolling through her social media account?
A college student was called into a meeting by her boss over a bikini photo posted on social media.
"I currently work two jobs, one of which is a part time gig at a little deli near my college. I've worked here for a while and I thought I had a good relationship with my employers," the student began in her Reddit post. "I recently went to the beach and posted some tasteful pictures of myself that my little sister took where I happen to be wearing a bikini."
Reddit
She explained that the day after she'd posted her photos, her boss, who she estimated to be in his 50s or 60s, messaged her directly about them. She pointed out that she didn't even know he had an Instagram and that he insisted that when she came in for her shift that day, the two of them needed to have a talk.
The college student's boss argued that he didn't want his employees 'putting their bodies online.'
When the woman asked if something was wrong after receiving his text, he alluded to the fact that her Instagram photos were inappropriate. He even went so far as to say that he didn't want his employees posting photos of their bodies online because it looked "bad" for his business.
Undoubtedly shocked by his message, she expressed her surprise that he was even following her online, especially since her social media had zero connection to her job and was for her own personal use to connect with friends. The only thing that was attached to her Instagram was her first name.
However, her boss didn't seem to agree and reiterated that he didn't like the photos she'd posted and doubled down on the fact that they would be having a meeting about it when she came in for her shift.
The greater issue in all of this is that her boss isn't outraged by employee bodies on social media. He is outraged by women in bathing suits on social media. As fashion writer Daisy Buchanan pointed out in an opinion piece for GraziaDaily, "Being a woman is bloody difficult. Everything we encounter somehow conspires to wreck our confidence. Our heads are filled with examples of who to be, what is perfect, and how we fail to measure up. Anything that we can claw back and use to rebuild our battered self-esteem has to be a good thing. But when we live in a society that constantly reduces us back to our bodies, and uses that as a way to corral and limit us, are the bikini selfies helping or hurting? We might think that we’re in control of what we’re showing, but we’re still inviting people to judge us on our bodies."
The college student was confused that her boss even found her Instagram page in the first place.
"My profile is public, meaning he didn't have to follow me to see the pictures, but I still don't love the idea that he was checking up on my profile like that. My first name is part of my Instagram handle but not my last, and I don't even have my university in my bio or anything," she explained.
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She pointed out that there wasn't anything in her profile or on any of her pictures that gave away where she worked. On top of that, the photos she'd posted weren't inappropriate in the slightest, and it shouldn't really matter because she's working a part-time job at a deli. It's not like she's in a corporate-facing position, and even if she were, posting a photo of yourself at the beach or pool isn't a crime; you're simply just living your life.
While social media plays a large role in being hired, with 70% of employers using it to screen candidates before hiring them, it shouldn't stop people from being able to post moments from their daily lives. Unless you're posting or sharing hurtful remarks that reflect character flaws, an employer shouldn't be concerned about what you post.
On top of that, she's 21 and in college. It's not abnormal for a woman in her early 20s to be posting bikini photos anyway. If anything, there should be questions about why her older, male boss is looking at them in the first place. At the end of the day, it's her page, her body, and her life that she's living. If her boss is uncomfortable about that, it shows more about him than it does about her.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
