What you need to know...
Social media can provide effective ways of connecting with current and prospective customers, employees and a wide range of people in a business’s network. It also brings issues of compliance with data regulations and ethical guidelines.
What you need to do…
Social media policies should cover:
- How employees should conduct themselves online
- Personal use - limit social media use at work to increase productivity
- Consequences of misusing social media
- How to protect against cyberbullying and the consequences for the perpetrators
- Security considerations - using strong passwords, protective software etc.
- The importance of employees using privacy settings
- Explain what happens if/when employees leave in terms of LinkedIn contacts etc.
How to deal with social media misuse
- Have a clear policy
- Ensure everyone understands it and the consequences of misuse
- If employees do misuse social media, deal with it quickly and in line with your stated code of misconduct
- Take a screenshot of the post before it is taken down, as you may need this for evidence
- Investigate thoroughly before jumping to disciplinary action
- If employees fail to abide, apply normal disciplinary sanctions
- This is a complicated area – if you are not sure, seek advice!