Use of Social Media by employees can be a tricky subject to manage effectively but it is important to get it right. With a lot of employees being encouraged to use social media for work there can be a fine line between business and personal use.
The easiest way to manage this area is to have a very clear social media policy within your contract or employee handbook clearing stating what is and isn’t acceptable when it comes to employee social media activities.
We have come up with 5 tips to include in the policy to help you stay clear of any social media pitfalls or issues
Top Tip No 1
Include within the policy a statement making it clear that personal use of social media should be limited to break times.
Top Tip No 2
Have a clear statement making it clear that any use of social media, either in or out of work hours, that brings the name of the company, its staff or Directors into disrepute may be subject to disciplinary action.
Top Tip No 3
Make it clear what your guidelines are for business related social media posts, for example you may want to state that you are required to conduct yourself professionally at all time when making any social media posts or updates.
Top Tip No 4
As with any business or HR policy you will want to monitor it to see how effective it is and that it is being used correctly.
Top Tip No 5
If there has been a breach of the policy challenge it and if appropriate implement the relevant disciplinary procedures. Don’t forget to apply the policy consistently across the organisation if you apply it one person you should apply it to everyone.
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