Social Media - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly - Do you have a Policy for your business?

Negative and disrespectful comments that have damaged an employer's reputation have led to disciplinary action and in some cases dismissal. Inevitably some of these decisions have been challenged through the Employment Relations Authority and when considered on a case by case basis, have resulted in both justified and unjustified dismissals. The difference has largely been that a strong social media policy has helped the employer to justify their actions and win their case.

Irrespective of its size, every business should have a social media policy. You can be sure that if you have employees, most of them will be users of social media outside of the workplace. With the explosive popularity of social networking, employees need to understand clearly what is appropriate and what is not, and the potential consequences of breaching the policy. A sound policy can be the company's first line of defence in an employment dispute.

Your policy should help engage some of your greatest assets, your employees. They are walking advertisements for your business/brand. They share relevant content about the company, job and products socially and have been doing so for decades. But along with the good of Social Media, comes the bad and possibly ugly.

Once upon a time people told their family and friends about things that had gone wrong at work. With social media the private goes public - and quicky - thanks to the rapid fire speed at which information can now be spread.

There is a risk that confidential information may be unintentionally leaked, in addition to the usual unacceptable behaviors such as harassing fellow employees, moaning about the boss or bitching about the company etc.

There are 2 aspects of social media policies for business. One is for those who are using it officially on the company's behalf and gives clarity for employees to operate. That policy should be clear about who can Tweet or administer Facebook pages on behalf of the company and give guidelines for this activity. The other is around what may be said in a personal capacity and what disciplinary action may result when an employer is displeased with what is being said.

It's important that if your employees mention or identify the company, those personal comments are not misconstrued as an official statement from the company

A policy should define the objective, definition, expectations, confidentiality, and potential outcomes if the policy is breached.

Social media is ever evolving and as business owners we must ensure that its use is within the terms of what's best for our businesses.

If you don't have a Social Media policy for your business, give Paddy at Battersby HR Consulting a call now to find out what you need to know. 09 838 6338 ; paddy@battersbyhr.com