Many employers that allow employees to have access to social media see it fraught with danger and choose to prohibit or tightly control access. Others see it as an opportunity to use their employees to promote their brand and actively encourage them to become online advocates.
Whatever camp you fall into, if you don’t have a specific policy about the use of social media that sets out how you expect employees to behave online, reminds them that access at work (if you give it) is a privilege not a right and sets out what you’ll do if they abuse the company via social media, then you are at risk!
It’s not enough to rely on your employees’ contracts of employment – which may specifically prohibit the disclosure of commercially sensitive information and bringing the employer into disrepute. Social media requires more specific measures that can be updated regularly without a period of consultation about changing a contract.
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