Social Media Policy

Most companies these days implement their own social media policy. Company losses are increasing with more employees engaging in the use of social media services even during office hours. Employers also find the increasing need to protect their business from the abuse of social media in the workplace. 

Social media policy is designed to protect business interests. Make employees understand that the company has an existing policy on certain restrictions on use of social media, especially when they carry the name of the company where they belong. It is important that from the start, employees already understand the company’s social media policy on what is allowed and what is prohibited in terms of use of social media by the employees.

Make employees understand the purpose of social media. Experts stress to emphasize leveraging on the positive side of social media. Instead of making it a point to implement stringent policy on what employees cannot do with social media, it is better to make a clear cut policy on what employees should do with social media for the company.

Use good judgment and monitoring. Employers cannot control the employee’s use of social media in their personal capacity such as privately or when they are at home. Employers should be able to exercise reasonable control over what their employees do with social media by imposing a social media policy that informs employees about the close monitoring to be undertaken by the management on what they post on their personal social media account. In return, this can make employees become more responsible on what they post online.

Employers should protect private and confidential information. Trade secrets should be protected; therefore, every company should make their employees understand the extent of what they can do with social media. It is best to include in the social media policy a provision that says releasing vital and confidential information about the company can result in civil and criminal liabilities.