Free Social Media Policy

"Company let us go home early on Friday. This place is great!"





"Free lunch today. That's twice this week!"




"I love my job!"



"They cut our 401(k) again."




"This place is run by a bunch of tyrants."




"Whatever. I would never recommend anyone to work here."


Two sets of comments, one of which is way more positive. The reality is that the above types of statements are posted online via Facebook, Twitter, and personal and corporate blogs all the time.


While positive communication on the Internet can certainly be free advertising to entice potential employees and customers, obviously negative press can drive those same people away.


It’s pretty cool, as companies jump on board with providing guidelines for employee communication; they are actually posting their complete policies on the web. Viewers can then copy the information and add their own specific additions that apply to their company.


My take on social media policies is that they are not designed to put a gag order on your employees, as posting and being active on social media sites shows that your team members are forward-thinking. It does protect the company though from an employee posting things that are simply untrue or insensitive or defamatory to certain groups of people. It also requires employees to take responsibility and ownership for what they are writing.


Through the process of association, even through XYZ company doesn’t agree with what Tom Employee said, the two are still thought of as one in the same when they are listed together on the same page.


Here is a sample social media policy:


http://www.itbusinessedge.com/cm/docs/DOC-1257