As HR Consultants, the Metis HR team is often confronted with the thorny issue of social media.
Whether you love it or hate it, social media is a fact of modern life; it is everywhere. Not only are your staff using it on an almost constant basis, but your business is too. So it’s hard to know where to draw the line between what is acceptable use and what isn’t.
That’s why ‘what should I include in my business’ social media policy?’ is one of those questions we are asked most regularly. Business owners like you often find this area of managing staff a legal and regulatory minefield.
In this article, we’ll take a look at what you should include in your company’s social media policy, to help you strike the right balance and ensure your business is protected.
Why Does My Business Need A Social Media Policy?
Social media is a relatively new phenomenon in the workplace. Facebook, the longest running social media platform, but it is only in the past decade or so that it has become ubiquitous. And now there is such a plethora of social media platforms to choose from – Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Twitter etc. – that it seems to be everywhere all the time.
Not only is social media demanding the time and attention of your employees, but it is also now a necessary tool for marketing and legitimising your business. Some employers are still happy to ban their employees from checking their personal social media accounts at all during work hours, whilst others prefer to opt for a nuanced approach.
According to Gitnux, these are some of the headline statistics about social media in the modern UK workplace;
- 8 in 10 workers use social media at work and 98% of employees use social media for personal use, with 50% already posting about their company online.
- Social media is a vital part of the recruitment process, with 79% of jobseekers using it in their job search, 73% of millennials finding their last position through a social media platform, and 91% of employers using it as part of their hiring process.
- 34% of employees use social media while at work to take a mental break, 27% to connect with friends and family, 24% to make or support professional connections and 20% to get information that helps them solve problems.
As you can see from these latest statistics on social media usage at work, the picture is much more complex than it used to be. Social media has become a key workplace functionality, providing a source of learning, facilitating sector-specific communities, helping to market the business, aiding the recruitment process and much, much more.
Yet HR case law is littered with examples of both employees and employers falling foul of social media, and you do not want your business to be one of those in the news or the courts because avoidable mistakes were made. Hence, it’s vital that your business is able to protect itself from the potential dangers and pitfalls of social media being used in the workplace or on work time, and a social media policy will go a long way to ensuring you are protected.
What Should My Workplace Social Media Policy Consider?
It’s important to remember that every business’ social media policy should be bespoke; making use of off-the-shelf policies, whilst quick and convenient, may not cover you should mistakes be made. Time and again we have seen businesses left vulnerable because the policies they believed they had didn’t actually cover them sufficiently when they were tested.
As such, Metis HR recommends you consider the following ten points when drafting your social media policy for your business;
Personal V Professional Accounts
The first distinction that must be drawn is between personal and professional social media accounts.
Often, several employees within a business may be responsible for the company’s social media output; staff may be expected to login to the various platforms using the company’s profile and post, share or engage with content on behalf of the business. If this activity is part of your sales or marketing strategy, then it must be maintained. However, it is important that any staff responsible for the social media marketing are trained sufficiently and that they are aware the social media policy still applies regardless of the profiles being used.
Whether or not you allow your employees to also use their personal social media accounts during working hours (excluding breaks) is up to you, but whichever option you choose, ensure the usage rules are clearly laid out in the social media policy and that all staff have been made aware of them.
You must also take steps to ensure the personal and corporate social media accounts are kept as separate as possible, and employees do everything they can to reduce the risk of cross-posting between personal and professional profiles.
Privacy and Confidentiality
Your workplace contains a lot of information that is sensitive and that shouldn’t be revealed to the public generally. Whether that be the personal details of your clients or employees, which you are required by the Data Protection Act 2018 (GDPR) to protect, or proprietary information about your company, which could compromise your business entirely if leaked, there is information in your workplace that must be kept confidential.
Social media poses the very real threat of your private information being leaked, whether intentionally or not. Employees may post seemingly innocent photos of their workplace, without realising that confidential information is being displayed on desks or laptops.
Thus, when drafting your social media policy, consider what is practical and enforceable when it comes to privacy and confidentiality. It may not be appropriate to ban social media in the workplace altogether, but perhaps social media use in particularly sensitive areas might be required? Alternatively, staff could be provided with training on how to blur or block out any potentially sensitive information from their images and videos? A little bit of training often goes a long way in these instances.
Security And Data Protection
Social media can be a risky place where a lot of online scams take place. Often, these scams can be quite sophisticated and even the most digitally-aware employees can be taken in. The upshot is that you, your company or your employees could be put at risk, with the dangers ranging from some embarrassment for the employee involved, to your entire computer system being infected and held to ransom. The damage done could potentially cost your business millions of pounds and some online scams have even led to the closure of companies.
As such, it is vital your social media policy covers security and data protection, and includes instructions on what to do in certain scenarios, should the security be breached. It is also vital, once again, that employees are provided with training on how to protect themselves whilst on social media, including how to use strong passwords and two factor authentication, as well as how to spot the most common or the latest scams.
Compliance With Laws And Regulations
Social media use is covered by several laws in the UK, which prevents things such as posting false information, breaching copyright law or inciting violence. Anyone using social media is bound by these guidelines and regulations, and breaches could result in prosecution leading to fines and even prison sentences.
When composing your social media policy, it is vital any applicable laws are included and that staff are made aware of the implications of breaching these. Furthermore, it is important that employees are made aware of any industry standards that may affect their social media use, such as compliance regulations. Clearly outline your guidelines on adhering to copyright and intellectual property, privacy laws, advertising standards and compliance with company policies, and once again ensure training is provided on this.
Professional Conduct
Whilst employees are personally responsible for the content they post on social media, there have been instances where employers have been impacted by, and even held accountable for, the things their employees have shared on social media. As such, it is your responsibility to try to prevent, as much as possible, your employees from posting anything that could be detrimental to your business.
When drawing up your social media policy, clearly set out any expectations of professional conduct on social media platforms, and advise employees against engaging in any behaviour that could be considered discriminatory, offensive or harmful to others. Where possible, be specific and provide examples to help demonstrate to your employees what professional conduct on social media looks like.
Social Media Etiquette
There is a well-known ‘disinhibition effect’ that happens on social media, when posters are more likely to say something online that they wouldn’t say in real life. As such, people using social media can often get themselves in trouble before they have had chance to consider the consequences of their actions. And, as we have already seen, in extreme cases, this could have serious real-world repercussions for their employers.
That’s why, as an employer drafting your social media policy, it is crucial you include guidelines on what you consider to be appropriate social media behaviour. This could include aspects of social media etiquette such as avoiding offensive language, respecting others’ opinions and refraining from engaging in online conflicts. As ever, provide training that encourages your employees to think before posting and to consider the potential impact of their words and actions.
Brand Representation
Whilst we have already discussed the importance of separating personal and corporate social media accounts, it is impossible to un-link the two entirely. Many social media platforms encourage users to list their place of employment in their profiles, particularly on work-focussed platforms such as LinkedIn. As such, even when posting outside of work on their private profiles, employees can often be linked back to their employers and, as we have already seen, the implications for the employing company can be substantial.
As such, when drawing up your social media policy, it’s important to outline clear guidelines for how your employees should represent the company on social media. As positive social media activity can benefit your company, decide whether your staff may identify themselves as employees of the company when discussing work-related matters online, however you must also remind them that their online behaviour can reflect on the company’s reputation. Set out a blueprint of acceptable and unacceptable online behaviour and ensure staff are aware of it and willing to comply with it.
Endorsements And Disclosures
This is yet another area where the personal and professional might clash on social media. Very often, employees engaging with social media may endorse products or opinions, or disclose their own opinions, without realising these could run contrary to those of the employing company. This may include recommending products, ‘liking’ companies or groups or, more recently, engaging with controversial content. Unfortunately, there is a fine line to draw here between allowing an employee to express their own opinions (Article 10 of the Human Rights Act: freedom of expression, states that “everyone has the right to freedom of expression [which includes] freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers”) and ensuring the reputation of the business is protected.
Hence, when drawing up your social media policy, it’s important to distinguish between the personal and corporate use of social media, but also to work with your employees to ensure they understand the implications of their behaviour on social media, even if they are not ‘officially’ representing the company at the time of posting.
If employees are representing the company or its products/services at the time of posting, they should be aware of the rules surrounding disclosures and endorsements to ensure compliance with your company’s and its industry’s regulations.
Monitoring And Enforcement
One of the most commonly asked questions online with regard to this issue is ‘can my employer monitor my social media?’, and the answer is yes. Remember, any content anyone publishes online is public, hence employers are perfectly within their rights to check the social media profiles of prospective and current employees. Employers are also permitted to discipline or terminate the employment of any employee found to be in violation of the company’s social media policy.
As the employer, you are in a much better position if the situation is outlined clearly in your social media policy and staff are fully aware of the guidelines. Thus, ensure your social media policy clarifies the company’s right to monitor employees’ social media activities related to work, including how, when and how often this might happen. You should also clearly outline the consequences of any policy violations, detailing any actions that may be taken in the case of policy breaches and the potential disciplinary measures that could be enforced.
Training And Education
Finally, as we have outlined throughout this article, one of the most important aspects of any social media policy is the training and education that follows it.
Whilst your social media policy will protect your business should something untoward happen, the best way of preventing any negative implications from social media in the first place is to ensure your staff are well trained on how to use social media appropriately, what to look out for to stay safe, and what is expected of them as an employee of your business.
You should also work with your staff to ensure your social media policy is both fair and enforceable, then continually offer resources and training to help your employees understand the social media policy and the rationale behind it. If your employees understand why you have such guidelines in place, they are much more likely to respect and adhere to them. Any policy updates should also be regularly communicated with your team, and ongoing education will help both your policy to remain relevant and your employees to stay updated on current best practices.
Contact Metis HR For Help Drawing Up Your Workplace Social Media Policy
Again, the key to any robust and enforceable HR policy is to make sure it is bespoke and fits the unique needs of your company. Because social media platforms are constantly changing, your policy will need to be regularly reviewed and updated to ensure it remains relevant and protects you where needed.
If you would like assistance in drawing up a custom social media policy that addresses the individual requirements of your workplace and staff, then Metis HR can help.
Contact one of our HR Consultants today by using the contact form on the website, emailing info@metishr.co.uk or phoning 01706 565332.
