Rules For Social Media? | 8 factors to consider when drafting a workplace social media policy
Do you need a social media policy?
If your employees are mature, responsible, ethical and always think before they write, then the answer is "No."
I bet you’re thinking to yourself: “Be real! When do employees act that responsibly? Perhaps you have the best company around and just one person has a lapse of memory or judgment. How will that reflect on your business?
If you’re considering a social media policy for your company, here are eight things to keep in mind:
1. How far do you want to reach? Social networking presents two concerns for employers: how employees spend their time at work and how employees are portraying your company online when they’re not at work. Any social networking policy must address both types of online use.
2. Do you want to permit social networking at work at all? It’s not realistic to ban all social networking at work. For one thing, you will lose the benefit of business-related networking, such as LinkedIn. Without turning off Internet access or blocking certain sites, a blanket ban is also hard to monitor and enforce, although this may be necessary in a few industries such as banking and finance.
3. If you forbid social networking, how will you monitor it? Turning off Internet access, installing software to block certain sites, or monitoring employees’ use and disciplining offenders are all possibilities, depending on how much time you want to spend watching what your employees do online.
4. If you allow employees to engage in social networking at work, do you want to limit it to work-related conduct? Or will you also permit limited personal use? How you answer this question depends on how you balance productivity vs. return in your market.
5. How will social networking affect other policies, such as harassment and confidentiality? Employment policies do not work by themselves. Employees’ online presence can violate any number of other company policies. Drafting a social networking policy is an excellent opportunity to revisit, update, and fine-tune other policies.
6. The internet is not anonymous, nor does it forget. There is no clear line between work life and personal life. Always be honest and respectful.
7. Links could be defamatory, harassing or indecent. Profane language or content may promote, foster, or perpetuate discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, age, religion, gender, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, national origin, physical or mental disability or sexual orientation.
8. Information may tend to compromise the safety or security of the company's system. It’s important to take the time to understand the rules, beliefs and desires that exist within the online communities and the way to use them appropriately in communication.
For assistance with your social media policy, it’s essential to understand these rules and the impact they may have on your business. A well-written social media policy will support your business and give you peace of mind.
Nancy Dube is a principal with Dube Consulting in Worcester, which specializes in human resource issues for small businesses. She can be reached at nancy@dubeconsulting.com or through www.dubeconsulting.com.
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