Workers increasingly complaining about work online

Employees increasingly turning to social media to complain about work

What you probably already know: If you’ve spent any time on TikTok, you may have come across someone complaining about their job, coworkers, or boss on #WorkTok. Many employees have grown increasingly comfortable airing out their grievances in short “story time” videos or skits re-enacting bad conversations with their colleagues: According to the 2024 State of Hybrid Work report by Owl Labs, around 34% of people surveyed reported posting negatively about their employer on social media, and for Gen Z workers, it was as high as 48%.

Why? Though the new normal of remote work has provided employees with more freedom and flexibility, it’s also isolated many from their coworkers and superiors, said Owl Labs CEO Frank Weishaupt. Because workforce connections now often take the form of formal, virtual meetings, “water cooler talk” is quickly becoming obsolete. “This is the disconnect of having lost in-office culture and having someone to go to,” said Weishaupt. “You don't schedule a meeting with a coworker to complain or air the grievance of something that has happened. You just don't have that casual time.”

What it means: For starters, companies grappling with this issue need to set clear social media boundaries with their workforces, said Weishaupt. “Employees need to take into consideration that anything that they put out there may impact their reputation in the workplace,” he said. But this dynamic presents a bigger issue than a few bad TikToks. This isolation can lead to employee dissatisfaction, low morale and potential high turnover.

What happens now? The onus lies on the company to foster a company culture where employees feel comfortable speaking up about things that upset them, both for in-person and remote workers, said Weishaupt. That could look like mentorship programs, regular check-ins or scheduling informal gathers to foster connections among their workforce, he said. “Companies should want those connections,” Weishaupt said. “They should want people to have the ability to share experiences internally, whether they're positive or negative. It creates a better environment.”

—Story by Contributing Writer Nat Rubio-Licht