An e-mail that has done the rounds among Maltese internet users shows how much Facebook has become an important element in people's lives - so important that it can get people fired.

A Facebook screenshot shows how a young British woman named Lindsay expressed her frustration at her job on Facebook, going as far as calling her boss names. She updated her status with a lengthy piece that started with the phrase "OMG [oh my God] I hate my job!"

Her boss, named Brian, who happened to be a 'friend' on Facebook and therefore could read the woman's remarks, ended her misery by telling her not to turn up for work the next day.

Though this incident has still to be verified, i-Tech can report that it did get international attention on e-mails and blogs.

It has sparked a debate on several blogs on whether employees can be fired for sharing their feelings about their job with other people on Facebook. Some pointed out that Lindsay was still in her probationary period, and her employer could terminate her employment without explanation.

The first genuine "fired-by-Facebook" case in Malta is yet to be officially registered.