| |
| Social Networking at Work, Part II |
Print |
By Erika Allen, J.D., Ph.D
Consultant to this Program
How does your organization handle social networking at work? On your company computer, are you completely blocked from social media sites? Maybe your time on these sites at work is limited to lunch hours or other breaks?
Whatever your organization’s policy, this two-part series can help you make decisions or answer questions about it. In Part One (CITE), we reviewed why organizations like yours really must have limits in place to curb employees’ time away from work, team tensions, damage to organizational reputation, release of confidential information, and to manage practical issues such as bandwidth and malware. In this article, read on to learn the pros and cons of the most common different policy approaches to social networking on the job.
Blocking sites. A recent study, based on over a billion web sites, reported that just over three-quarters of companies block social networking sites—up 20 percent over the previous six months (www.scansafe.com). That makes social networking sites the most common category of sites blocked at work, more commonly prohibited than online shopping (blocked by 52 percent employers), weapons information (blocked by 75 percent), alcohol (blocked by 64 percent), sports (blocked by 51 percent) and Internet-based email (blocked by 58 percent).
Blocking sites all together does, in a way, most completely eliminate the organizational risks associated with social networking—or does it? More and more commonly, blocked employees have the technology and the savvy to social network from work on their phones and PDAs. Moreover, a complete ban on social networking at work may generate more backlash than you anticipate, or more than you deem worthwhile. Of course, blocking site on company computers does nothing to limit what employees post—about the organization or otherwise—during their off hours.
Time limits. Many employers have found it useful to simply limit employees’ time on social network sites or, for that matter, limit time for any personal computer use. Organizations that try this approach say that hard and fast limits work best, as we all know how easy it is to lose track of time on the computer. An employee may honestly believe that he or she has just a few minutes to find that it was actually hours! For example, an organization may ask employees to limit their social networking time to, say, lunches or other breaks.
Limiting what employees say. Employee social networkers do not just lose time from work, they may say things on line that get the organization in trouble. To that end, it also makes sense for employers to have rules about the content of what employees post. An organization would be wise to implement some or all of the following prohibitions:
- Prohibit disclosing confidential or proprietary information, including trademarks or copyrighted materials. (Note that when the employee creates something in the course of employment, copyright arises automatically and belongs to the employer). Employees need to know what counts as “confidential” (insider information, etc.) and that they may be notified, at any time, if new information is designated “confidential.”
- Prohibit infringing on the intellectual property rights of others with which the organization does business or serves.
- Prohibit using the organization’s name on a site with sexual, violent, or otherwise inappropriate content.
- Prohibit any statement that could adversely affect the organization's interests or reputation, or the interest or reputation of customers and other important business partners.
- Prohibit any statement in support of competitors.
- Prohibit any defamatory, harassing, or disparaging language about a fellow employee or any individual or entity with which the organization deals.
- Prohibit any content that would constitute a violation of state or federal law or any other organizational policies, rules, standards of conduct, or other employee requirements.
The organization should provide a clear statement of what is permitted only with prior approval from the company, such as:
- Blogs or postings that imply employer sponsorship or support.
- Use any logos, trademarks, or service marks.
- Creation on organizational time, at organizational facilities, or using organizational supplies or resources.
The organization should also identify if and when employees are required to disclose their affiliation with the organization and to notify readers that they are speaking in an individual capacity rather than as a company representative. In addition, organizations may want to specify when employees must specifically disclaim any represented endorsement by the organization.
This article has reviewed some of the different options available to employers to curb the risks associated with social networking at work. Of course, the best policy uses several approaches together, tailored to meet the specific concerns of the organization. I hope that this quick overview provided some ideas about what makes the most sense in your workplace.
