Pub. 2 2011 Issue 3

www.wvbankers.org 12 T he popularity of social media sug- gests that the phenomenon is not a passing fad. Individuals young and old, businesses, politicians and govern- ments are all looking to social media to stay connected, stay informed and dis- seminate information. For both savvy and unwary employers, though, social media can be a problem. As with many things in our new digital world, social media seems to encourage people of all ranks and profiles to type comments which they would otherwise think twice about before uttering out loud in the workplace. Do you find your CEO’s political views to be a tad loony? Do you find your co-worker attractive or perhaps she just annoys you? Is your company losing money? For many, post- ing comments on these topics for their “friends” to see is almost second nature. For some, this information is often posted without prompting. For reasons obvious and subtle, employ- ers should consider adopting social networking policies - not to discourage their employees from participating in social media, but to encourage them to think twice before posting something online. In a perfect world, a model social networking policy should consist of a simple message: “Think twice before you type.” Unfortunately, life is not so simple for employers. In order to avoid poten- tial pitfalls, effective social networking policies should be drafted in a manner to address the following considerations: • Breadth – should the policy cover content or the activity? Typically, social networking can present two types of concerns for employers: (i) how employees are portraying the employer online, and (ii) how employees are spending their time at work. The second concern can usually be addressed through a general computer usage policy. • Marketing – employers need to consider whether they want employees Social networking presents opportunities and challenges for employers. To effectively overcome the challenges and take advantage of the opportunities, employers should carefully consider adopting social networking policies. The Pitfalls of Social Networking for Employers: Why Employers Should Have Social Networking Policies By Justin M. Harrison, Bowles Rice McDavid Graff & Love LLP