How to Handle Social Media in the Workplace
As social media continues to play a bigger and bigger role in our society, it has brought up a number of uncomfortable issues in the workplace. Should employees be allowed to access social media on work time? What happens when an employee posts something inappropriate on Facebook or their personal blog? If your workplace doesn’t yet have a clear social media policy in place that deals with issues like these, you’re asking for trouble. Your company’s social media strategy should be:
Consistent
No single policy works for every type of company, so it’s important to evaluate your company’s social media policy to make sure it matches the corporate culture. Are you a small creative firm where shorts are appropriate on Fridays? You may want to think about placing fewer restrictions on social media sites. Are you setting policy for hundreds of employees? You’ll probably want a more restrictive policy to cut down on headaches down the road.
Thorough
Even if your company’s social media policy is relatively lax, it should be thorough enough to let employees know exactly what is expected of them. Spell out your social media policy in the employee handbook, touching on issues like which sites are appropriate to visit during work hours, what can and cannot be said online, how to handle official company social accounts and what punishment is appropriate for certain violations.
Flexible
Because social media is continuously evolving, it would be foolish to never revisit your social media policy. Stay current on the latest topics and trends in social media, and you’ll be able to change your policy when it makes sense.
If your employees are using social media on their company cell phones or laptops, are you showing your employees the costs of these extras with employee benefit statements from COMPackage?
Also — if you are using social media, follow COMPackage on Twitter or on LinkedIn. We would love to keep in touch!
