How Can We Create a Social Media Policy to Protect Our Company from Employee Posts?

In the current scenario, there are many social networking sites where employees post comments, like/dislike things, and have their own blogs, etc. I would like you to construct a policy framework to protect the company from being affected by any of their personal views or comments. I need your valuable suggestions on this.

You could have given more information like the nature of your industry, the type of employees you have, and what your designation is.

Social Media and Employee Conduct

Social media is a fait accompli of the day, and we have to stay with it. We cannot prohibit employees from joining social media. Nevertheless, what is disclosed on social media is important. The clause on the disclosure of sensitive information is covered in the Standing Orders Act. It can be extended to social media as well.

Expression of Personal Views

Regarding the expression of personal views, employers cannot control that. Employees may affiliate with a political party; however, while expressing their opinions, they should ensure that they do not invite wrath from some sections of society due to their criticism of caste, creed, religion, nationality, etc.

I recommend that you develop your own policy and upload it here. Some seniors like me will further correct it.

You have written, "I would like you to construct a policy frame to protect the company from getting affected by any of their personal views or comments." Please note that this is a public forum where you should refrain from using language that demonstrates the high-handedness of some MD over his/her juniors.

Thanks,

Dinesh Divekar

The Importance of Nurturing Talent

This is why we repeatedly fail as a country to nurture our talent. Policies and protection of 'Company's interests,' however ridiculous it may sound, often hinder this process. If an employee has to vent in a public forum, then there's a high probability that the firm isn't allowing them to do so internally.

Putting in policies and frameworks is meant to harness talent, not stifle it. Give employees a forum, track the issue, and try to meet them midway.

Actually, it is possible to include terms in standing orders or appointment letters that require employees to notify any blogs they run and make adverse comments against the company, post sensitive business data, etc., as misconduct. You can specify punishment, which can extend to termination.

Times of India did worse than that, which was news for some time. It was not struck down by the labor commissioner or the courts yet despite the uproar among employees.

I would suggest you look within your organization to see what can be done to reduce negative feedback. Going the legal route would indicate that there is some fact which you are trying to cover up, which is not going to serve your organization in the long run. Mr. Dinesh has given you some good advice. It will help you if you try to follow it. All the best.

Regards,

Social media promotes the brand image of the company, but it can also undercut it. It depends on what employees say about their company on social media. For example, if your company receives an award, employees can promote the link on social media. Conversely, negative news can harm the company's image.

Considerations for Social Media Policy

Another issue to consider is inadvertently publishing something. There was a previous post in this forum about publishing research work on social media and facing objections from clients. Please refer to the following thread for more information; it may help you in designing the policy: https://www.citehr.com/508166-advise...-resource.html

Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar