How do I protect my business reputation from comments on social media by employees?

Putting aside the obvious business benefits of social media, the growth of use of social media in all our lives can be described as “HR accidents waiting to happen”. Lines can easily be blurred – e.g. employees commenting on their work in their own time, using their own device. Our top tips:

• Get a good comprehensive social media policy in place – publicise it, train people on it, keep it up to date and enforce it.
• Include clear rules on accessing social media at work, and make staff aware of the monitoring you will do.
• Be clear on how an allegation of anything inappropriate being posted online will be handled, and define a framework of sanctions e.g. you might treat a breach as misconduct, and a serious breach as gross misconduct and potential dismissal.
• Include clear rules on managing your organisation’s confidentiality online – in particular trade secrets and other sensitive information.
• Be clear with employees that they must not make derogatory or discriminatory comments online about your organisation, colleagues, or your customers and the potential consequences of a breach of this management instruction.
• Take steps to prevent bullying and harassment online, just as you would in the ‘physical world’ – if you don’t take adequate steps you can be held liable for your employee’s actions online.

Do also watch our video clip: https://tinyurl.com/y97zakpm