Social Media Policies at Work
The other night I was watching an episode of “The Office.” The company of the title, Dundler Mifflin, had recently been acquired by a large corporation. Much to the horror of the DM employees, the new company sent an IT manager in to remove access to any questionable websites and social networking arenas, including Twitter and Facebook.
Apparently this is not just material for television. According to the National Law Journal, more than half of surveyed companies said they prohibit employees from visiting sites such as Twitter, Facebook and MySpace. In fact, the article says, 76 percent of companies are actually blocking employees' use of social networking.
It stands to reason that employers can prohibit activities not related to their work. Legally, employers have the right to institute such policies. However, company policy about such things should be done in a way that doesn’t humiliate employees or create resentment. After all, social media is here to stay, and can actually benefit companies. As Daniel Schwartz of the Connecticut Employment Law Blog says, developing a social media policy and practice should be part of many companies' overall strategy.
A Canadian woman might have fared better with these regulations in place. A recent Law.com post reported that the woman is fighting an insurance company's decision to cut her benefits after an insurance agent found photos of her vacationing, at a bar and at a party.
She posted them on Facebook.
