As many businesses have discovered to their detriment, what social media offers them with one hand, it can sometimes take away with the other. Many human resources professionals freely acknowledge that social media is a valuable business tool in many respects. They are also very aware that it is just as much a personal communication tool. Their concerns about where the boundaries between the professional and the personal become blurred are not unfounded. In the absence of any hard and fast employment law that specifically appertains to this area, many are sensibly seeking external human resources guidance to help them incorporate workplace social media usage in to their company policies.
Just like with any issues covered by company policies, social media policies are staff aids. They clarify employer expectations and codes of conduct, which, if breached, can lead to disciplinary measures being taken against staff members, sometimes ultimately leading to dismissals. Company policies also dictate the same duty of care from employers towards their employees. If employers fall short of the principles laid out transparently in their company policies, they can sometimes find themselves taken to an employment tribunal by aggrieved staff members.
Professional human resources services are well versed in the drawing up of social media policies, often taking in to account the opinions of staff members and, if applicable, Trade Unions. Many outsourced professionals have first hand experience of assisting their clients through employment tribunal situations, or staff disciplinary, directly arising from online bullying, defamation, invasion of privacy, recruitment and time wasting.
At NorthgateArinso, we take great pride in offering contemporary human resources services to modern businesses. Our expertise in the field of social media usage in workplaces is second to none. When business owners feel a little in the dark in this area, we can shed light, with common social media policies designed to align electronic and non electronic staff behaviour.