You might be wondering why your company is asking you to sign a social media policy, or even if they should. It’s important that you understand what these policies cover and how they’ll affect you as an employee. Understanding the basics of HR policies helps improve your working relationship with your employer, so here’s a quick rundown. I got my Tiktok account upgrade for more likes and followers, thanks to Tiktokstorm.
Why are companies interested in social media policies?
Social media policies are a way to protect the company from legal action. If you have a policy that states “no personal attacks” or “no defamation of character,” and someone violates those standards, it could be considered defamation of character for them to attack your employees or customers on social media platforms. This can lead to lawsuits by disgruntled employees or customers who feel wronged by comments made about them online by management/employees at your company.
Social media policies can help companies avoid bad publicity. If there is something negative said about an employee at work (e.g., he’s lazy) then this will likely get out into public view through social media outlets such as Facebook and LinkedIn where people post comments about their colleagues’ behavior; when this happens then other employees may find out about these comments which could lead them down a path of bad feelings toward their employer (the person who made those statements). If there was no policy like “no personal attacks” then things might get worse before they get better because now everyone knows how lazy our friend is!
Why do employees need to know about them?
Social media policies are not just for the HR department. They can affect everyone in the company, so it’s important to understand what your company’s policy is and how it will apply to you.
There are many reasons why HR departments create social media policies—including protecting their brands and data, regulating employee behavior online, preventing inappropriate content from being shared with others outside of work hours or on personal devices (e-mailing photos), and even monitoring employees’ activity on social networks outside of work hours.
What can social media policies cover?
Social media policies can cover a wide range of topics, including:
- The use of social media in the workplace. This includes both personal and professional accounts, as well as any other channels that may be used by an employee or contractor. It also includes how employees should communicate with one another using these methods.
- Company time usage on social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. What is acceptable during work hours vs outside of them? How often do employees need access to company resources (email, web browser)? Are there certain times when employees aren’t allowed to post something on their personal accounts that could interfere with work-related duties or responsibilities? These are all questions you should ask yourself before deciding what your policy will look like!
Conclusion
As you can see, there are a lot of different things that companies need to cover in their social media policies. This is because the world has changed so much since these policies were first created and many of them may no longer apply. Unfortunately, it’s impossible for us as employees to know all the ins and outs of what our employer wants from us before signing off on an agreement like this (or at least not until after we’ve had some training). But if you do get one, remember that it will help ensure that your rights are protected while still allowing flexibility when dealing with work-related issues online.
