It seems more employees are behaving inappropriately on social networking sites, while companies are still trying to find the best way to deal with that behavior.
Almost 25% of employees have disciplined workers for activities on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn, according to a recent survey by the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics (SCCE). Despite that, only half of companies said they have a social networking policy or monitor employees’ behavior.
The dangers of social networking misuse include:
- damage to the company’s reputation
- leak of confidential information, and
- harassment (if an employee talks disparagingly about a co-worker, for example).
What does a good policy look like? It should cover two basic elements:
- Make it clear that employees have no right to privacy when they post on a public social-networking site, no matter where they connect from. If it’s on the site and can be read, it can be used as grounds for discipline.
- Remind employees that company policies (like anti-harassment) extend to online behavior.
Does your company have a social networking policy? What does it cover? Let use know in the comments section below.
