Social Networking Woes

With the rise in popularity of social networking websites, such as MySpace (www.myspace.com ), Linkedin (www.linkedin.com ), and Facebook (www.facebook.com ) as well as an increase of personal information being posted on Internet blogs and message boards, employers need to think about the implications to their business. While it’s impossible to ban employees from using social networking websites, you can restrict the type of information employees post.A policy related to online postings should be designed to protect the company’s image, trade secrets, clients, and staff. But, how far can employers go to protect themselves? Where do you draw the line between an employee’s privacy rights and the company’s right to protect its business? A policy on social networking should be written to address legitimate business concerns, such as the dissemination of confidential information or the bullying and harassment of co-workers. It should not attempt to control an employee’s private life and off-duty activities that have no affect on the company.

Below are some important points to address in a social networking policy:

1. Confidentiality. First and foremost, a policy on social networking should prohibit the dissemination of confidential company information, which may include customer information, internal policies and procedures, product information, financial records, and trade secrets. It’s recommended that upon hire you have employees sign a confidentiality agreement so that your staff is aware of what types of information is considered confidential as well as the importance of confidentiality to the company.
2. Company email addresses. Employees should not be permitted to use company email addresses in their personal profiles or when writing and posting blogs and comments. This will serve to distance the company from the individual posting information online.
   Access to employee profiles. Request, but don’t require, that only friends rather than the entire public, view and access employees’ online profiles, blogs, and video uploads. Most social networking websites have privacy protections that can restrict assess to such information. This is another way to protect the company from its affiliation with the information posted by an employee.
3. Co-worker information. The use of a co-worker’s name as well as the company’s name should be banned, unless otherwise authorized. The policy should also indicate that employees are prohibited from revealing personal information about their co-workers, such as their phone number, address, and related personally identifying information.
4. Harassment. There should be a provision that states employees are prohibited from bullying, harassing, and discriminating against co-workers while at work and when posting information on social networking websites, including information provided via pictures, blogs, comments, videos and messaging.
5. Image. Employees indicating the company they work for, whether by posting pictures of themselves wearing a company uniform or by mentioning it in a blog or personal profile, can negatively affect the company’s image should a client or customer disagree with the employee’s postings. Information that has the potential to tarnish the company’s image should be prohibited. This includes information in the form of written comments or pictures that allude to an employee’s illegal activities, sexually explicit information or photos, racist or discriminatory remarks, and defamatory or derogatory comments about co-workers, bosses, or the company.
6. Social networking on work time. Of course the policy should also address the act of social networking while on work time. Blogging, posting comments, and reading others’ profiles should be banned during an employee’s scheduled shift. You may even consider blocking employees’ access to these websites.
7. Disciplinary action. Although your policy most certainly should include disciplinary procedures should an employee post prohibited information, sometimes you will have to take what you find online with a grain of salt. There is a certain level of anonymity on the Internet and you will need to determine if the information you’ve discovered was in fact posted by the employee. Basing an employment decision on doctored photographs or blogs written by the employee’s friend, could present a problem if you first don’t do some investigating. As with any disciplinary situation, provide the employee an opportunity to share their side of the story before rushing to any conclusions.

Although outright banning employees from social networking while off duty is not permitted, employers can enact measures in order to protect themselves from the posting of unscrupulous information about the company. By clearly defining the types of information considered to be confidential, prohibiting employees from indicating their affiliation with the company, and forbidding employees to post information about clients, customers, and co-workers, you are taking the first step toward protecting the company’s reputation and the employees who work for you.