7 Reasons Why You May Need A Social Media Policy
The recent Gary Lineker BBC suspension and re-instatement got everyone talking about the impact of public figures speaking out on social media and why you may need a social media policy - or not.?We also chatted about the BBC’s impartiality rules - which they said caused them to ask Gary Lineker to ‘step back’.?In a public statement the BBC’s Director General Tim Davies “apologised” for the “potential confusion caused” by what he said were the “grey areas of the BBC’s social media guidance”. Similarly, Melanie Dawes, the Ofcom chief executive said the BBC needed to look at their guidelines to “see whether they’re still right in a world of increasing use of social media”.
For me, not only did this row make a very convincing case for businesses to re-think whether or not to have a Social Media policy in place to protect their business and staff; it also highlighted what can go wrong if your policy is not fit-for-purpose or up to date.
Take a look below at 7 reasons why you may need to have a social media policy and keep it up to date.
1. Protect Your Employees
Social media policies are part of a company’s business code of conduct. They will protect?your employees from potential defamation, targeted teasing or online bullying or harassment -.?and they outline how businesses expect their employees to conduct themselves online. Many companies will include the social media policy in onboarding induction packs as part of the contractual induction process containing:?
The policy should also contain relevant examples which help to eliminating confusion, so employees don’t mess up.?
What About Freelancers?
Gary Lineker claimed that he was an independent freelancer and not a BBC employee – and was therefore free to say what he wanted. Article 10 of the Human Rights Act reminds us that the right to freedom of expression is enshrined in constitutional law in the UK. However, employers may not be able to control what independent contractors and freelancers say or do outside work - unless they were contractually required to comply with your social media policy. Consider clearly defining who the policy refers to including:?
You may also want to state in your social media policy that it is enshrined within the contract. It is also helpful to explain what the consequences of a breach are (e.g. in terms of freelancers employers may choose not to work with the contractor again).
2. Protect Your Business Against Costly Litigation
Employers could be liable for defamatory or discriminatory comments posted by their staff.?This could ultimately lead to loss of reputation to a business brand. Remember, once information gets out there on social media platforms – you can’t retrieve it back! Also, if an employee discloses confidential information, they could knowingly or unknowingly infringe on intellectual property rights of a third party.
It is clear that inappropriate use of social media by employees can pose serious and costly risks to the bottom line, from the unintended consequences of a misunderstood, misguided or misinterpreted tweet or post.
A social media policy will let employees know what’s expected of them and what is allowed. Equally important, If an employee was fired for their social media use and they claim for unfair dismissal,?the policy would provide justification for their dismissal. This action could minimise legal risk for the business.?
3. Protect Your Business Brand?
Don’t risk your brand reputation. You will have heard a social media story about the online conduct of yet another employee that was fired, for example, for a silly tweet about their boss being lazy or boring. By the same token, you may have also seen other stories that have recently be in the news about work group chat texts containing improper material, etc.
Inappropriate use of social media by employees can damage the business brand. Although there is a balancing act to be performed between impartiality and freedom of speed, your employer may still be within their right to limit what you post on social media as their employee; even if you post on your private social media account, and even if you don’t specifically name your employer.
What Happens If Social Media Use Is Part Of Your Job?
In contrast, it is also very tricky when employees need social media as part of their job. For this reason, your social media policy should clearly define a distinction between private use and business use. It should also highlight the consequences of such actions if an employee’s behaviour breaches their contract by casting their employer or themselves in a negative way.
Providing a robust and up to date social media policy as part of the employment terms and conditions may limit what employees say online, even when they think they are being private.
4. Defend Your Business From Security And Privacy Risks?
The risks involved in using social media rise exponentially with the size of your team. The larger the team, the greater the risk becomes. A social media policy that protects your business and your employees is recommended since phishing scams, ransomware attacks, and other criminal activities will continually need to be fought against.
Putting together a combination of robust security protocols with a comprehensive social media policy will go a long way to keeping your business protected online against fraud, hacking and phishing.
5. Keep Your Business Up To Date
The BBC recently discovered what happens when you introduce a policy, but neglect update it in a timely fashion. They introduced their social media policy in 2020, but hadn’t reviewed it since, and then were forced to admit this in print after a very public row with freelancer Gary Lineker - about the wording in the policy. Regularly auditing & reviewing your social media policy every two years is ideal to ensure the guidance remains up to date with business and legislative changes, and that it still reflects the culture of your business.
Employers will, however, always need to respond reasonably to breaches of the policy and have a fair reason for dismissal. The policy should clearly define the types of behaviour which may lead to dismissal. So, if a breach occurs, the wording of the policy will justify the action you take.
Social Media Is Constantly Changing So Stay On Top Of Your Policies?
Social media evolves constantly. Because of this, your policy should contain a metadata section where you can clearly state that:
This results in employees knowing they are all treated the same.
Be as proactive as you can to get your social media policy sorted well in advance of needing one. Don’t make the same mistake the BBC made and wait until you are in the middle of a public relations nightmare to update the text in your social media policy.
6. Keep In Contact With Your Employees Working Remotely?
Since the pandemic, more and more businesses adapted their working practices for working remotely. Businesses were then more able to stay engaged with their clients and colleagues. Many businesses adopted social tools to assist teams to collaborate and communicate on projects. Tools such as MS Teams, LinkedIn, Instagram, Slack, Zoom video conferencing, uploading job interview videos via You Tube etc. were invested in.
In 2022 the World Health Organisation (WHO) said “working from home can blur the boundaries”, when working and living in the same space. As a result, now is the time to introduce a new social media policy to support your employees. But first you will need to work out a few issues before you obtain a social media policy such as:
Then acquire a social media policy or update your existing one.
7. Communicate Your Policy?
Your stakeholders will need to know your social media policy exists. Consider developing a plan of how you will communicate this policy to your staff and stakeholders. Your plan should state:
Many businesses send the employee handbook that contains the social media policy to their employees via the Intranet or email. Then, employees confirm they have received the document. Or they confirm they have read the document before they can proceed with the log in process on their laptops, PCs or their phones. This way employees cannot claim they didn’t receive or were not aware of the policy. HR should aim to send the employee handbook to employees at least once a year or shortly after a policy has been updated.
Contact Our Consultants At Stevenson Brown
Let us know if you have any questions relating to whether or not a social media policy applies to you, or how to implement one in your workplace. Stevenson Brown consultants will discuss your requirements and create a social media policy from our template, or as a bespoke document unique to your business. Email us now on: [email protected] or visit our website: www.stevensonbrown.co.uk
Allie Stevenson
Stevenson Brown