Social media can be a distracting technology which causes a negative effect on the productivity of employees working for the Company. However, it can also be an engaging platform that enables the Company to build new relationships with new and existing customers.
A Social Media policy sets out how employees must behave when using the Company’s social media platforms and governs how employees should refer to and promote the Company on their own personal accounts.
What should you include in a social media policy?
The Company’s social media policy should be applied in conjunction with the Company’s internet and publicity policies and applied to all employees, contractors and volunteers who use social media either for personal or professional reasons.
The most important clauses to include are:
Employees using social media in the workplace use it in a way which does not adversely affect the Company’s reputation. Especially when you get disgruntled employees, the things I have seen and read have been shocking.
Social media can involve communication between job applicants and employees and is an avenue for the Company to promote and control their reputation. Social media may blur the boundaries between what is home and work. Access is often public, even amongst a limited group of connected accounts, and comments are often permanent.
Employees need to be honest and respectful when using social media. Everything posted on social media may be tracked back to the source, so employees must ensure content posted on social media accounts, both in a work and personal capacity, fits with the Company ethos, CSR and marketing brands.
Most importantly to include the following paragraph of “the Company reserves the right to check the social media accounts of employees.” This support you when you need evidence on the terms of use.
What are the terms of use to be covered in the policy?
Within the policy you need to be clear when employees are using social media, either in a personal or work capacity, during or outside working hours, post on social media must not:
• compromise the Company, disclose confidential data or disclose sensitive data
• must not damage the Company’s reputation or brand
• must not breach copyright or data protection
• contain libel or defamatory content
• must not engage in bullying or harassment
• be of illegal, sexual or offensive content
• interfere with your work commitments
• Promote competitor products or political opinions.
Employees should ensure they consider the Company’s other policies on marketing, promotion, sales and branding.
Do you use Social media with recruitment? If yes then you will need to include a clause in the policy to say the reason’s why.
As said social media can involve communication between job applicants and recruitment processes are increasingly utilising social media as a method of engaging job-seekers. Due to the increasing amount of content posted online, viewing candidate’s social media profiles is a quick and effective way of checking details contained in a CV or getting an idea of the personality of the candidate. As long as these are the reasons why then every one is clear why you use social media within your recruitment process, the unsuccessful candidates are unable to use this against you for not being offered the job.
Do you use business contacts within your social media?
You need to think how you use your business contacts. Do you record contacts in computer software installed on yours or an employee’s computer or our they maintained in websites for marketing or social media purposes.
If you do, you need to make this clear in your policy so your contacts know all information is kept confidential and ensure that none of your contacts can be referred to.
Can you enforce a social media policy?
The answer is yes as long as you have your social media policy as part of your employee handbook or employment contract. More importantly the employee has sign to say read and understood. Any social media content attributable to your business which breaches the terms of the policy, or the other related policies, or can be damaging or detrimental to the Company. Which may result in an investigation and disciplinary action under the Company’s disciplinary policy.
Here is an example of the importance on why you should have you a social media policy in place
A pub manager of a well-known Pub chain was fairly dismissed for posting comments about customers on Facebook.
Even though the customers were being rude and abusive to the employee, the customers made a complaint to the pub chain, claiming that the comments were offensive and open to the public. The employee was invited to a disciplinary hearing on the basis that she had failed to comply with the company’s Social media and Internet policy and had lowered the reputation of the pub chain.
Sounds unfair right?
However, the tribunal found that the employee had used Facebook whilst at work, had made abusive and offensive comments and these comments could result in the customers being identified by name. As a result of her actions, she had brought the company into disrepute, and her dismissal was deemed fair.
This case could have gone the other way of being deemed unfair with the pub chain spending a minimum of £15,000 in an employment tribunal case. The case was made stronger because it had a clear policy on social media, email and internet usage that the employee had signed to say they had received and read a copy. The employee was aware of what was acceptable and had breached those standards.
If you need any support in drafting a social media policy or any policies, contact BPHR.