The Importance of a Social Media Policy [Guest Post]

26 Apr The Importance of a Social Media Policy [Guest Post]

This post is written and provided by Toronto Labour & Employment Lawyer, Doug MacLeod of MacLeod Law Firm.

Did You Know?

• The Ontario Court of Appeal recently recognized the right to privacy.
• Reviewing information on a job applicant’s Facebook page without his or her consent can result in a complaint under the Ontario Human Rights Code.
• It is unclear who retains ownership of business-related social media accounts, like an employee’s business Twitter account.

Fun Facts on Social Media

•  Canada is the world’s biggest user of LinkedIn.
•  85% of people want companies to engage with them via social media.
•  For employees under 35 years of age (Generation Y), more than ½ of their news and purchase influences are received through user-generated ratings and digital word of mouth.

 Use of Social Media in the Workplace

There is no denying that social media has permeated the workplace. This is particularly the case with Generation Y employees. In a study of more than 1000 business professionals, employees estimated spending around 4 hours per day managing multiple inboxes, with Gen Y employees spending 1.8 hours a day on social media websites. For a number of reasons, employers need to manage the use of social media by employees in the workplace.

 Developing a Social Media Policy

We suggest that an employer address these issues and others in a social media policy. The contents of each organization’s policy will depend, among other things, on whether the organization permits access to social media sites on its computer network, whether the business uses social media like Facebook and Twitter to promote its products and/or services, whether the organization has a website and/or blog, and the size of the business. Here are five issues to consider when preparing your social media policy:

1. Is an employee permitted to use personal social media during working hours?
2. Is an employee permitted to use employer property to access social media sites?
3. Is an employee required to comply with employer policies when creating personal social media content?
4. Is an employee prohibited from posting items that could reflect negatively on the employer or otherwise embarrass the organization?
5. Is the employee prohibited from mentioning the name of any of the employer’s personnel without prior approval?

 Our Complimentary Social Media Policy Seminar

We are offering a complimentary breakfast seminars in Toronto and Barrie from May 1^st to May 8^th to help employers learn more about developing a social media policy. To register for the seminar, please click here.

If you have any questions about managing social media in the workplace, please call us at 1-888-640-1728 or send an email to [email protected].