Productivity Social media tools can be valuable resources when used for work-related activities, but inappropriate use of these tools can be a drain on employer resources. Therefore, if an employer supports the use of social media tools during work hours, then that employer’s social media policy should include a reminder to employees that their useRead… Read more »
Although it may be a matter of common sense that employees should follow terms of service and the law and also not to disclose confidential information, most social media policies include clauses stating that employees are responsible for their actions with regard to confidential information, terms of service, and obeying the law. What else shouldRead… Read more »
In addition to personal use of social media tools generally, employees may participate in and comment on discussions, news stories, blog posts, etc. that deal with topics related to the organization. The organization should consider how such interaction using social media tools might impact the organization. In addressing this issue, the organization should consider whetherRead… Read more »
Most, if not all, social media websites provide options for what information a user makes available to the public. Facebook, for example, offers options for who can view status updates, removing a user’s name from search results, and limiting who can view pictures. According to a recent article published in the Vanderbilt Journal of EntertainmentRead… Read more »
Here in the UK, the first sighting in public has emerged of the Government’s new overarching ‘UK Public Sector ICT Strategy’ due to be published next month. The strategy has been in development over the last year by the UK Government’s CIO Council (a central co-ordinating body modelled on the Federal CIO Council) and plansRead… Read more »
Greetings GovLoopers! UPDATE as of 11/8/09: Based on initial feedback last week, please see the various changes in BOLD below. In talking to many of the social media practitioners in and around government agencies, one of their stated best practices is the development and display of a solid policy that provides guidelines for engagement onRead… Read more »
In part 4, we discussed identification of the employer by employees. Related is the use of disclaimers. The use of disclaimers is a frequently suggested guideline. If chosen employers should request that employees post disclaimers on their personal websites stating that the views expressed on those websites are those of the employees and not thoseRead… Read more »
As noted in Part 3 of this series, the vast majority of social media websites allow users to identify who they work for as well as other information about their employment. If employees complete this information, they are to some degree acting as representatives of the organization and all of their posts may reflect onRead… Read more »
The line between personal and work-related use of social media tools is often not easily distinguished. However, creating some distinction is advisable because it helps employees understand what communications and actions will impact their employment. For instance, Facebook is often considered a personal social network unrelated to business. However, one piece of information a FacebookRead… Read more »
Defining what “social media” means is another factor cited as important to a social media policy. This definition provides a framework for understanding what the organization is discussing. For instance, Facebook is commonly known to be a social networking platform. Twitter is often called a micro-blogging platform, but some believe it to be a socialRead… Read more »