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Social media: combining usage policy with individual responsibility

It’s social media marketing week on Bdaily. Here Marissa Best looks at striking the balance between social media policy and individual responsibility.

Many organisations have opted to block social media during working hours in order to prevent employees from a perceived misuse of work time and equipment. Yet, like it or not, social platforms are becoming increasingly ingrained in corporate activities, with more than three-quarters of respondents in a recent McKinsey global survey of over 3,500 companies reporting that they are using at least one social technology.

At the same time, many employees are getting round outright bans on social media use by accessing platforms using their personal smartphones and other mobile devices. Such trends have essentially resulted in a grey area when it comes to taking responsibility for use that is considered improper, offensive or even libellous. But it is not just limited to this. Many people are including their place of work on social media profiles, meaning the link between the person and the employee becomes inextricable. It is not just about managing social media policies in work hours, companies have to be mindful of social media usage outside of the office as well.

To tackle this issue effectively, today’s businesses need to strike a balance between protecting the interests of the company and those who work in it. Specifically, corporate guidelines and policies need to be consultative to avoid being viewed as draconian. These should be introduced to the workforce in a context of self-responsibility and education, rather than ‘laying down the law’.

The conversation should point out the risks which individuals themselves face in terms of litigation or security, as well as the potential legal or reputational impact that their behaviour may have on the company.

Ideally, the policy should be a document that users can relate to and contain guidance on what is being protected. It should not include anything that the organisation cannot realistically enforce.

Crucially, it is important to spell out why the guidelines are being introduced - something which may be achieved through dedicated training sessions or inclusive policy meetings.

From a legal perspective, it should be made clear that the social media policy is not contractual. The main reason for this is that if it does not form part of the employment contract, it is much easier for the organisation to change it - which they are highly likely to want to do in a fast-evolving area such as social media. In addition, if the policy is part of the employment contract, the business could be open to legal action from an employee if they can demonstrate that their employer does not also follow it to the letter.

Here, an effective compliance and policy management system can play an important role in helping businesses introduce and adapt social media policies in line with what they deem to be risky or unacceptable usage. Used in conjunction with proper organisation-wide consultation, it can enable relevant business users such as HR teams and line managers to systematically evidence compliance, instil departmental and organisation-wide best practice and improve and sustain business controls.

Looking at recent high profile court cases, it is easy to see how an offensive view or ill-considered innuendo – even if unintended - could land someone in hot water, just as private emails going viral have done in the past. As TV personality Sally Bercow said after a court had ruled she had defamed the Conservative peer Lord McAlpine by re-tweeting a false accusation about him: “I have learned my own lesson the hard way.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Marissa Best .